


Raindrops

by Ellie_Jo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fire Lord Zuko, Firebending & Firebenders, Multi, Waterbending & Waterbenders, Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2019-08-22 20:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16604663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellie_Jo/pseuds/Ellie_Jo
Summary: For the first time in five years, Katara returns to the fire nation as diplomatic ambassador. Zuko is loved by most, but unrest exists, and a great deal of reparations are due across the map.  Some things are rekindled, some begin anew, and others end.





	1. Chapter 1

In five years, the Southern Water Tribe had changed greatly. Economic growth and reparations made after the war had gone to benefit them greatly, and it showed. Their relationship with the North had improved, though it wasn’t perfect, and this had led to an advancement in architecture and they’d helped in setting up larger schools. 

When Hakoda decided that it would be Katara who would serve as the head of diplomatic relations between the Southern Watertribe and the Fire Nation, Chief Arnook and Master Pakku both tutored her in proper politics. During the war, they weren’t as worried about politics as they were about surviving in the south. She had never been schooled in it, so the prospect had frightened her initially. For the first few years, Katara had been necessary in the tribe to help with rebuilding and restoration, and until those were done, Pakku had served as the southern ambassador in her stead, a temporary solution. 

It wasn’t until late in the fifth year since peace was declared that she was able to set up her own trip to the Fire Nation. 

“Are you excited?” Sokka asked, stepping through the doorway of her room. 

Katara laughed a little, bubbly as it had always been. “I haven’t been there since the war ended. I’m a lot of things right now,” She finished pressing a silk garment into her bag before turning on her heel to see her brother. Sokka had grown what had to be another foot, and had filled out just as properly, he seemed to tower over her. “Are you excited? When you go to the Earth Kingdom, you’ll solidify your own role as diplomat. Just like I’m doing. Except when you go, you’ll be met with a wife, and from what I hear, a baby who got all of her mother’s good looks,” Katara teased. 

“I hate that I wasn’t there -” Sokka started, thinking about the daughter waiting for him across the sea. 

“You didn’t know, she was early. You should have been there. It’s not your fault, Suki knows that,” Katara assured him, and Sokka nodded, before he let his pure joy show again. 

“I’m a father, Kat. Can you believe it?”

“No, actually.”She laughed, “But I couldn’t be any happier. Not for you, or Suki, or us. I’m an aunt, to a beautiful baby girl…” Katara wrapped him in a tight hug, “Name her after mother.” 

“You know we will,” he said, returning the hug in earnest. “Now, you leave in the morning, Katara. Finish packing, I’ve got a lot of my own to do.” Sokka patted her back and left almost as quickly as he’d come. 

She immediately got back to packing, filling her bags and trunks with everything one would need to spend a winter in the Fire Nation. She’d never been there in the winter, but when Zuko’s secretary had written her, it had been in warning that winters were hardly any cooler than the summers, and that the current fashions showed it. The secretary had also ensured her that a great deal of clothes would be gifted to her, but figuring they would be in the style of the Fire Nation, she still packed plenty of her own things. She refused to leave behind any of her culture during her visit. 

By the time she’d done her packing, her brother was back at her door. 

“It’s time to eat,” The grin on his face meant whatever had been made was something he was excited for, and it made Katara realize just how hungry she was herself. 

She chased her brother through the icy halls, the massive dining hall filled with most of the people of the village, and an array of dishes from fish to rice and imported vegetables, as well as the classic southern meals like seaweed soup, noodles, seal meat, and boiled sea prunes. It was a delicious looking feast, and the two children of the tribe’s chief joined him at the head of the table with rumbling bellies. 

They ate with vigor, engaged in conversation for hours past the food was gone. Fat and happy, Hakoda lifted his wine glass up above their heads. “Tomorrow morning,” He began, and the conversations quieted to listen. “My two children both leave for our new allies lands, one and two weeks each at sea - we know the dangers of the oceans. So let us toast to them, and to their safety. To Sokka and Katara.” 

The people all cheered and toasted in unison, taking deep swigs of the strong prune wine. 

When everyone was pleased and tipsy, they made their ways off to their individual homes and the household made their own ways to their rooms. Katara was glad to undress, half tipsy, and crawl into her deep bed with its numerous warm sheets and furs, a fire burning nearby with a copper warming pan at her feet. It wasn’t long before she’d drifted off to sleep. 

It felt like she’d only been in bed thirty minutes when she was woken by one of the houses guards that morning was here, and that she needed to be up within minutes to make it to their desired departure time. 

The earned response was a grunt, and Katara rose slowly from the warmth. She’d have to dress warmly, until the icy ocean opened up to the warmer seas, so she readied herself for the day accordingly. 

She was sent off with plenty of well wishes, and a breakfast made by Gran Gran in a small wooden box, as well as plenty of snacks. Both unnecessary, since this was a well stocked ship ready for the two weeks of travel she was about to embark upon. 

When the ship set off, it was with Katara standing on the deck, leaning against the large railings and waving excitedly at all of the people, including her family, standing on the docks watching her go. Once they were out to sea, she discovered just how lonesome the trip was going to be. She was all alone, though there was plenty of crew members, and she spent her day practicing her bending and sparring, as well as reading. But beyond that, she found few activities to satiate her boredom. All in all, the two weeks were passed in a funless voyage. Though, she could happily say she made a few friends, talking to the crew during meals, and helping them with chores around the ship kept her from feeling as though she ought throw herself overboard. 

When she was finally awoken by news that they had arrived on the shores of the Fire Nation, at the capitol’s docks, it was early. The sun had barely begun to crest over the distant horizon, and exhaustion made her limbs heavy. Even in her lethargy, though, she was glad to be there. 

Early, the heat wasn’t dry enough to make you feel like you were baking. Instead, it was a wet, sticky heat. The air was thick, and people moved slowly, like they were drudging through soup. Katara revelled in the dew on her skin as she walked from the ship to where a ornately decorated carriage waited for her. A coachman helped her inside, closing the door behind her. 

Inside the carriage was a beautiful young girl, with sharp, almond eyes and skin as pale as snow. She was dressed well, but not quite like nobility. Her dark hair was pinned up atop her hair in an ornate style of curls that deviated from the updos Katara remembered from before the year. It was more reminiscent of the fashions of the Earth Kingdom, as did the dark red stain on her lips and her odd, short, painted on eyebrows. But her dress, the deep red shirt of silk with its high collar and the ornate hand painted fire lilies, and the wide cut black skirt hinted at roots in the fire nation. 

The girl smiled at Katara, bowed her head respectfully. “I am Li Xiu, Master Katara” She introduced. “I’ll be serving as your handmaiden while you are in the fire nation.” 

Katara smiled in kind, “It’s a pleasure, Li Xiu. Where are you from, originally?” 

“I was born on an island south of Ember Island, but I was raised here in the capital.” She explained. “I was chosen to work in the palace after my mother died, when I was ten.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Katara apologized, knowing that loss well. “How long ago was that?”

“Six years. She was killed in a riot against the fire lord Ozai, damn him,” Li Xiu’s eyes went wide in fear, realizing she’d used coarse language before the lady she was meant to serve. 

Recognizing the fear, Katara spoke quickly to calm her. “Damn him indeed, may he rot. Who hired you?”

“I was bought to be trained for Princess Azula. When she was jailed, I was kept on, but my debts were paid. I’m free now, but I’ve no where to go. The pay is good, I suppose now I’m a right and proper courtesan, more a lady in waiting than a servant. A lot has changed since the new Fire Lord was named. He is well loved.” 

“I’m glad to hear it. And I’m glad to know he treats you well. Otherwise, I may have to chastise him severely.” Katara took it to heart that she was less a servant and more a proper lady. Her misfortune was not something she was born into, but rather forced, and she’d hoped Zuko had seen that, understood it. 

“You would do that?” Li Xiu seemed shocked, as if she suddenly realized that she was one of Zuko’s personal friends, outside of his role as their king. 

“Of course. He’s been the subject of my anger quite a few times, I doubt he wants to wind up there again.” Katara responded playfully, quite taken with the young girl before her. 

The girl laughed in earnest, a pure sound that Katara was glad still existed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless plug but I have begun publishing my original work on wattpad. Check it out! https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/188646879-like-sugar


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was higher in the sky as the carriage was pulled through the massive, golden gates of the palace. They were pulled through the sweeping front gardens, which were lusher than she’d remembered them. Katara peered out, eyes wide as she took it all in. It seemed a completely different palace than the one she remembered. 

People dressed in finery moved about, talking amongst themselves. She tried to remember them all, taking in the different fashions they dressed in, and the different faces and looks of all the people. 

“It’s different than I remember,” Katara commented absently, and Li Xiu shifted across from her. 

“Certainly, Master Katara. Our Fire Lord has very graciously welcomed each culture in the palace, beyond the four kingdoms. You’ll find a great deal of diversity in the court now. Ambassadors from every state and city, representing a plethora of people who had not received such pleasures before.” 

Katara glanced over at Li Xiu, her body still pulled towards the little lattice window of the carriage. “You seem quite fond of the Fire Lord.” She noted slyly. 

Li Xiu dropped her eyes, “Of course I am, I’d be a fool not to be. Everyone is - or, mostly. I’ve heard some say it seems that, even with all the Fire Nation is having to repay, culturally we are entering a golden age.” 

“Certainly a gilded one,” Katara joked, watching as they rode past the front of the ornate palace she’d feared so much all those years ago. There still was a twinge of fear, but they had one. It seemed ill placed now. Inside was her friend, and the people surrounding the palace would - hopefully - welcome her, welcome Zuko’s changing law. Peace suited the palace well. Life suited it. 

Katara sat back again, smiling once more at the young girl before her. “Have you a sweetheart, Li Xiu?” 

“I did, Master Katara, but he had to go back to the Earth Kingdom recently to help with his family.”

“That’s a shame,” She remarked genuinely, saddened by the girl’s loss of her love. She hadn’t had the chance to think up anything else to say before the carriage came to a halt, and a guard was at the door to assist the women with their departure. 

Katara stepped out first, fixing the front of her gauzy blue daxiushan. Li Xiu followed suit, adjusting her wide skirts all the same. They walked along a cobblestone path towards the palace, following the soldier who darned not even look at her, which Katara thought was strange. She didn’t ask any questions, and tried to soak in the expansive grounds and its many buildings. 

She had been in the palace during peace once before, during Zuko’s coronation, but it had not been long, and she hadn’t had the heart or will to explore the grounds. She felt, since she would be spending an unknown number of months here, she would have the chance to memorize the entire grounds. Though, she thought for a moment, that even if she were here a year it may not be enough time to learn the purpose of each building in the grand palace. 

“When will I be seeing Zuko?” Katara asked, not speaking to either one person in particular, but hoping one of the pair would answer. 

“I’m not sure, Master Katara,” Li Xiu answered, and the guard took it as permission to also speak. 

“You’re not likely to see him before dinner, the end of the year is usually His Majesty’s busiest time.” They still walked forward, towards the palace doors. 

It took a set of guards to open the tall, metal doors, and inside was the glorious decor she recognized only slightly from the last time she was there. 

“Your apartments are in the royal wing, servants will bring in your trunks later,” The guard explained, leading her towards the rooms where she would find herself living for the coming months. 

She wondered whose doors she was passing as they walked through the wondrous halls, and when they came to hers, another guard opened the door. Katara’s jaw would have dropped to the floor had she not quickly composed herself. She’d never, in her life, been in a room so grand and well decorated. The walls were mainly white, but it was broken by large panels of red and shining gold details. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and it lit up every gilded surface of the tables and ornate painted details of those massive red panels. 

Katara was so taken by the beautiful decor, she had not noticed the three people she’d entered with drop to kau tau. 

She paused, brows furrowed as she looked at them. 

“What are you doing?” She wondered, and then she noticed. Or, rather, was made to notice. The most recognizable voice she had ever known came from behind her, deep and gravelly as always. 

“Katara.” 

She spun on her heel, face alight with sudden pleasure at the presence of her old friend. 

“Zuko!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things: I'm basing the popular fashions of the time on a mix of chinese and Indian, from no particular dynasty or era. The palace is based on a few different ones: the canon atla royal palace, versailles, the grand palace of bangkok, and the mandalay. I've also made a few places up, little islands that will be similar to mixes of other real nations, similar to the way the four elemental nations are, that were simply largely forgotten during the war. this will introduce all sorts of different elements that i think will be interesting to explore. 
> 
> also quick disclaimer: I've never seen anything outside of atla bc I'm cut off from the world lmao. so its canon divergent in terms of atla lok, the books, and the comics !! 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed, and please leave comments and reviews!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for mentions of the loss of a child

“Oh, Zuko! I wasn’t expecting you to be here,” Katara threw herself into his waiting embrace. 

He spun her around, pausing when he finished so the world could stop spinning before he let her back down to her feet. “You didn’t think I’d make time?” 

“You’re a king. I didn’t think you’d have time to make.” 

“I’ll always have time.” He promised, then looked to the servants who’s foreheads we’re still pressed to the black marble. “You’re dismissed.” 

They kept their heads bowed as they backed out from the room, knowing they would be just outside until they were needed. 

“How was your trip?” Zuko asked, leading her to the low table and ornate, beaded floor pillows in the first room in her apartments. 

“Boring. But otherwise fine. There weren’t many storms, though right at the boarder of the arctic oceans and yours there’s usually something torrential.” She plucked a mango from where it was in a bowl made of solid gold and bit into the fruit happily. 

“I’ve missed this,” she moaned. “We really need to import more mangoes. They’re maybe the best fruit.”

“Oh. Here, try this. Something we got when we opened trade with a small island colony near the Earth Kingdom,” he held up a strange red fruit with a small crown on its top. One hand disappeared into a small purse tied beneath his robes, and from it he pulled a thin knife with a jade hilt. He cut into the fruit, juices dripping from it like he’d punctured something with blood. Careful not to get the inky red liquid on his porcelain skin, he lifted one half out to her. “The seeds are the fruit.”

Katara took it from him just as carefully. She used her teeth to coax a few seeds out of the pith and savored the strange flavor. “What is it?” 

“A pomegranate. They can only grow in very particular climates” he explained. “Good, right?”

“Very!” 

Zuko are the seeds from his half. “I can’t believe the last time I saw everyone was two years ago for Sokka’s wedding.” 

“I know - oh, speaking of weddings, where is your wife?”

He kept his eyes on the dark fruit in his hands. “She’s on Ember Isle with her family, she doesn’t stay in the capitol much. It’s too dismal, apparently.” 

“Hardly! You’ve made the inside of a volcano look like the botanical gardens in Ba Sing Se! It’s beautiful here, now.”

“Maybe that’s why she doesn’t like it. Anyways, how are Suki and Sokka?”

“Suki had a baby last week. She was serving as ambassador while she was there, since so little needed to be done on Kyoshi Island, but now that she’s had a baby, Sokka will take over for a little while. He’s taking over as chief someday, so he can’t be away for too long or keep those duties, but he doesn’t want Suki there alone. I’m sure she’s beautiful, but I don’t know when I’ll be able to meet them.”

“Once the new year rolls around, there will be a ball to celebrate. Maybe I could invite them? What about Aang? How is he?”

“He’s fine, still helping refugees settle into the old air temples. We don’t talk as much since…” Since Katara as denied his marriage proposal, the week before Zuko’s own wedding. 

Zuko has married Mai three months after the war had ended, mainly because they needed to. Politically, things were extremely turbulent. So, marrying a Fire Nation woman whose father was a high ranking official had made the most sense. And he did love her, so they didn’t mind, even if they were only seventeen. 

“Understandable. Toph was here recently, with her family. They’re nice people, and they seem to trust her a lot. But they’d never come to the fire nation so they followed her here.” 

“Did she seem over that crush she had on you?”

“How could anyone ever get over me?” He responses teasingly. 

“Oh, you’re right,” Katara leaned across the table, eyes half lidded, “you’re irresistible.” 

Zuko flicked a seed at her, and it bounced off the center of her forehead and rolled across the marble floors. “You’re damn right.” 

Katara almost rolled she was laughing so hard. When she finally calmed herself, she looked at him with the genuine love she’d felt for him since before the war. “I’ve missed you, my friend.” 

“I’ve missed you, too. Your absence was understandable, but no less harsh. I thought I would have seen you more. Pakku isn’t as pretty an ambassador as you, that’s for sure,” he teased. 

“Harsh! I’ll tell him you think so.” 

“Last I’d heard, you were still fighting off engagement requests from every Northerner in sight. Have you finally crushed their dreams?”

“Theirs, yes. But since I’ve met with politicians from all over, I’ve gotten even more. Or rather, my father has. Maybe they’ll realize it’s them asking my father that earns them the automatic ‘no’.” She laughed. 

“Hey, not every place is as forward thinking as the southern water tribes. I’d like to think the Fire Nation is pretty keen on equality, and we still go through the fathers to get to the daughters.” 

“How archaic,” She mocked. 

“Aren’t we?” 

Katara laughed again, then stopped, and let her concern and love show on her face again. She knew she was going to ruin the moment they'd just shared, but did;t know when she would next get the chance to ask her friend the question she wanted to ask. She knew there was no good time to ask it, either, and that it wasn't the sort of question one ever wanted to be asked. But sometimes it was the one they needed to be asked. 

“How are you doing, and Mai, I mean, since…”

“We’re okay,” He chewed his lip, sadness clear. The loss of a child was never something one could easily get over, though almost everyone seemed to think they would. An heir was necessary, despite any pain one felt. Pain one would always feel. “Or, we’re trying to be. Mai got really distant afterwards, and she hasn’t been well since.” 

“I’m so sorry. I wish I’d been here, maybe I could have done something.” 

“Don’t blame yourself. There wasn’t anything anyone could have done. No one knew, and it was so quick. He was just… gone.” He bit his thumb, eyes on something beyond the room. “I think I’m being punished.”

Katara hated herself for asking, but she knew it was likely that no one else had. People don’t tend to ask the king if he’s still grieving, if he’s hurting. 

“But it’s okay, I’m okay.” He assured her again, clearing his throat. “Mai won’t tell me if she is, she won’t tell me anything-” 

There was a knock at the door, and at Zuko’s okay, a man in a deep bow and what appeared to be ceremonial robes came through, his hands up above his head to present the Fire Lord with a scroll sealed with wax. 

“Ah, Katara, I need to leave. I’ll send for you when I’m able, but you should get settled in in here, anyways.” And he was gone, off to do his duties. 

It wasn’t long after he’d left that a servant came in with Katara’s things. After organizing her things in her armoire and across the top of the large vanity, and looking at all of the things that had already been supplied to her (a great deal of extremely expensive gowns and a drawer of carefully displayed jewelry), Katara went and knocked on her heavy door. The guard on the other side opened it, and Katara poked her head out. 

“Li Xiu,” she called, and the girl was before her in moments. “You can come in, if you’d like? I’m going to take a bath.” 

“Thank you, Madame. Do you want me to call down for the water first?” 

“Oh, right, of course.” She’d gotten so used to the natural hot springs and bathhouses of her tribe that she had forgotten that here, one took baths in massive tubs. 

She went to the room with the tub and looked over the assortment of amphorae and vials filled with oils, and the little porcelain pots filled with scented sugar scrubs to find what she’d want. 

She settled on a crystal vial filled with something that smelled like those fine purple flowers that had made the courtyard so colorful, and wondered it it would be just as fragrant outside. Just as she’d decided, a procession of ladies all dressed similarly to Li Xiu ushered through the doors and began pouring their large jugs of water into the tub. Katara still felt strange being waited on this way, and she stood awkwardly to one side, waiting for all the women to leave. But, after they had taken out the jugs of water, they all returned to the room. 

“They’re going to help bathe you, unless you’d rather they didn’t?” Li Xiu explained when she noticed Katara hadn’t moved away from the shelf with all the little crystal bottles to undress. 

“No, no, it’s alright. They can stay,” she decided, and they immediately moved to help her undress. Again, this was strange. She’d never had anyone help her dress or undress, save the day of Sokka’s wedding, and she didn’t know how she ought to feel about it all. “Thank you,” Katara said, trying not to seem as off put as she did. 

Once in the nude, she carefully stepped over the edge of the tub to rest on the large white cloth lining the tub’s inside. Though it was strange to be in a room bathing while surrounded by strangers, once they all got to work scrubbing and filing her nails and brushing and washing her hair, she could hardly complain. It was all so relaxing, even if unsettling. 

“I was surprised the Fire Lord was here when we arrived, Li Xiu admitted, kneeling on a padded stool beside her and taking one of Katara’s hands into her own, using a steel file to shape Katara’s nails.

“So was I,” she admitted. “But glad. Can I ask you something, and I know it’s none of my business, so tell me if I’m being to forward-“ 

“Okay,” Li Xiu nodded diligently. 

“How often is the Fire Lady gone? Zuko said she was on Ember Isle now with her family.”

“Not too forward, Madame, though I’m not sure Zuko would like me to say anything. But I suppose if you asked him, he would answer truthfully. Most of the year. She only returns for stately dinners and other things where her presence is vital.” 

“Oh?” Katara held Li Xiu’s gaze for a moment before the young maid spoke again, adding more. 

“There’s a rumor, but perhaps it would be too forward of me to say anything.” For Li Xiu, being too forward was a legitimate concern that could lead to negative consequences. Speaking out of turn about the king and queen was never wise, but the words were drawn from Li Xiu before consequence ever came to mind. “But I have heard that Mai is not to be called fire lady for much longer.” 

Everyone in the room stilled for a moment, as if surprised Li Xiu had said anything to this diplomat at all, much less spoken so brashly about the marital affairs of their king. 

“I fear that that is too forward, Li Xiu. And an ugly rumor that I hope isn’t true.” Katara sighed, sorry for a second time since her arrival for asking anything at all, and suddenly thinking much too hard on what Zuko had said earlier about feeling as though they were being punished. She hated to imagine why he felt that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg drama 
> 
> ok this chapters a little weird and oops lol i may change it a little later but i wanted to get it ouT so here have it its yours now. 
> 
> some of the stuff talked about in this chapter will be expanded on later, but zuko is busy, and i didn't want things to get too heavy with katara having been there for only like an hour so far, since she was mostly just trying to check in on her friend. 
> 
> another note: i base a lot of the court etiquette, again, on lots of different places. but a lot of what you'll see with the way the servants act is taken from how ottoman empire servants acted during the 16th century empire - theres a reason for that and it'll be explained later. you'll also see more inspo from the ottoman empire, including hamams. :')


	4. Chapter 4

When the servants had scrubbed Katara clean of any dirt that might have settled, had shaped her nails into perfect little crescents, and had washer and brushed her hair until silk was the only proper comparison to be made, Katara rose from the bath and slipped into a velvet robe until her skin and hair had fully dried. 

She dismissed the servants, and they carried out the water from the tub in the same containers it had been brought in with. Only Li Xiu remained, standing by the door awaiting orders. 

“Li Xiu,” Katara looked over at her. “What happens if Mai and Zuko do divorce?” 

“Nothing, Master Katara. The Fire Lord would be pushed to remarry, since the nation has no heir, but divorce is quite common here.”

“I see.” She sat on the painted chair before the vanity. “I only ask because, if I recall, it was illegal in the Earth Kingdom. And in the Northern Tribes, women who divorce cannot remarry.” 

“The Fire Nation prides itself on its ideas of equality.” She said, Before seeming to correct herself. “They Do now, at least, and did before the war. I don’t know much about the politics during, since I was only ten when it ended.”

“Have you ever been someone’s handmaiden before?” Katara asked curiously. 

“Once, to an ambassadors wife. She didn’t talk to me, though, and so I didn’t talk to her. I think you’re much nicer. Are you someone’s wife? I know you’re your own politician, but do you have a husband?”

Katara laughed. “No, not yet.” 

 

“I would have thought you would. You’re so pretty, haven’t you been courted?”

“Of course I have. But I’m very picky. You should be, too. I don’t know the laws about classes here, but you’re so pretty, and surrounded by high ranking men - perhaps when you’re older, one of them will swoop you away. Though I think you’d prefer your Earth Kingdom boy to return?” 

“Of course, but I don’t think he will. He’s handsome, and hasn’t written me since he left. I think the best I could do to raise my station would be to join a harem.” 

“A harem?”

“Yes, it’s a —“

“No, I know what it is. I thought those only existed in the Earth Kingdom?” 

“We have them here. Kept mistresses are common among the wealthiest.”

“How common?”

Li Xiu seemed to understand immediately, and a tiny smile tilted her lips. “You mean, does the Fire Lord have one?”

“Yes, I suppose I do,” she laughed. 

“He does, though I don’t know that he makes much use of it. I’ve been there, and they don’t seem to know much more than the gossip. Though they think if the rumor of divorce is true, it will be one of them replacing Mai. I think that’s ridiculous.” 

“Why?”

“None of them are even familiar enough with him to say his name, much less marry him.” 

Katara laughed, “Isn’t that what most royals like?” 

“He doesn’t seem the type.” 

“Hm, you’re right.” Her own smile tugged at her lips. 

Li Xiu walked a little further in the room, a knowing look in her eye. “Can I help you dress?” 

“Oh, uh, sure.” She nodded. “You know what’s fashionable, you’ve seen all the ladies in this place, what should I wear?” 

It was like that was the question that Li Xiu had been waiting for her whole life. She was set off in a flurry of silks, going through the multitude of robes and fabrics that she’d brought from home, and the even richer styles that had been gifted by the palace.

“I think these are even better than what I’ve seen foreign queens wearing,” Li Xiu commented, pulling a few things from where they hung. 

Katara wound up dressed in ruqun, with intricate hems and wide sleeves. The upper garment was red silk, and the band of the skirt - which rested just below her breast, bringing them up the way the stiff stays popular in the Earth Kingdom would - was black, and tight, flattening her chest almost completely but was still somehow a revealing décolletage. Small hand painted dragons head rested in the center,and the smoke from its nostrils disappeared into the beaded muslin skirts. The outfit was finished with her mother’s necklace, though it seemed out of place against the reds and blacks and silvery muslin. 

For her hair, ‘simple’ was hardly an appropriate word for what Li Xiu did to her. She’d piled and pinned so much hair she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to get it down. Li Xiu pinned little gold ornaments all along her hair, and a large ruby hung at the start of her hairline, it’s hand resting down her part. 

All in all, it was a strangely glorious and beautiful look. She did actually look like the ladies they’d passed when entering the palace, and Katara was surprised at herself. This wasn’t a style she would wear everyday, it was much too extravagant and restrictive for her tastes, but she thought the whole thing looked good on her. She remembered distantly the time she and Toph had gotten makeovers. They’d looked, and been made to feel they looked, silly. But that had been what felt like lifetimes ago. She’d been a child then, not that she was much of an adult now. 

“Thank you, Li Xiu,” she smiled at her. “I’m going to write my father and my brother to let them know I’ve gotten here on time. Is there an ink pot and parchment here somewhere?” She asked, not having found one during her earlier exploration. 

“Here,” Li Xiu went to a little table big enough to hold only a small statuette of an eagle hawk and opened the tiny drawer. She returned with the ink pot, and a thin stack of papers. “There’s brushes there,” She gestured. “If you’d like more paper, I can fetch some.” 

“This should be enough. Thank you.” 

Li Xiu bowed politely, before standing straight backed against the wall. 

“You can leave, if you’d like. I shouldn’t need anything else.” Katara told her gently. “Or at the very least, you should sit down.” 

“I’ll sit, if you don’t mind. For now, I’m your only handmaiden, until you have more. I think it’s best I stay with you.”

Katara didn’t question it, and set her mind on writing the letters to her father and her brother. Once done, she tied them with blue ribbon and gave them to a guard to have sent by the next ship. 

She’d hardly sat back down when a knock at the door called her attention. 

Immediately after approving the visit, the large doors opened. On the other side stood a man she was never unhappy to see. 

“Uncle Iroh!” She beamed, and the plump, jolly man on the other side laughed pleasantly. 

“Katara! I was hoping I might ask you to join me for some tea?” He asked, his accent as thick and comforting as she remembered. 

“Of course! But I don’t have a tea set.” She noted, looking over her shoulder. 

“Nonsense, come with me,” he gestured. 

Katara gladly followed, a guard and Li Xiu at her heel. 

Iroh watched as she came around beside him, “These clothes suit you well,” He complimented. 

“Oh, thank you. They were already here, so I assume they’re the latest fashion. But I have someone else to thank for them, though I’m not sure who.” She held up her fingers. “Zuko paid for them,” she ticked it off by lifting a finger, “Zuko’s secretary told me about them,” Another finger, “and Li Xiu put the outfit together.” The third finger. “I’ll just have to thank them all.” 

She smiled at Li Xiu over her shoulder. “Thank you, Li Xiu.” 

“It is my honor,” Li Xiu bowed her head. 

Iroh smiled, he was always smiling, but sometimes it would seem renewed. “Yes, they have all done wonderfully. But if it were not you in the dress, it would hardly be as lovely.” 

“You flatter me, Iroh.” Katara returned his smile. 

“It is not flattery that was not well earned.” He assured her. “You look like an empress.” 

“How am I supposed to believe you when you’re so dramatic? I definitely don’t look like an empress. I’ve seen empresses.”

“I’ve seen more.” He pushed. “I’m old. I’ve seen so many empresses you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll believe you. Thank you, Iroh. I’m honored by your compliment.” 

Feeling successful, Iroh had his own guard open the door to the tea room. Inside, the walls were lined with what seemed like hundreds of tea sets. Most ornate and beautiful, but some simple. 

“What tea would you like?”

“I don’t know enough about it,” Katara admitted, looking at a shelf with a particular pretty tea set. She carefully traced the gold lacing through the green clay surface, admiring the simple beauty of it. 

“Jasmine is the best.” He replied knowingly.

“Then jasmine,” she accepted, moving on to another teapot with similar gold markings, though this one was a deep blue. 

“Are you looking at the broken pots?” He asked, setting a pot to boil over a flame he’d set with spark rocks. Katara asked once why he didn’t do it with bending, because he easily could, and he’d explained that it seemed to take away from the art of tea. 

“They aren’t broken,” she defended them. “They’re beautiful.”

“They are now. But they were broken once. Gold was used to fill the gaps, like glue, and now they’re more valuable than they were before.” 

“The gold is like scars,” Katara noted. 

“Exactly. And, like some scars, they’ve made the pot stronger. Would you agree, nephew?”

Katara spun around just in time to see Zuko entering the tea room. 

“I suppose. Though if I didn’t, arguing with you wouldn’t get us anywhere.” He smiled at his uncle, before his golden eyes flicked to Katara. “You changed?”

“I took a proper bath. I couldn’t stay in the clothes I had on.”

“I like this, it suits you. The hairs weird, though. I prefer the loopies.” 

Katara rolled her eyes dramatically before going to sit beside Iroh on the floor mat. “Thank you. For everything but the part about the loopies. I only wore my hair like that for a few years, but no one has let it go yet.” 

“Join us, won’t you, nephew.” Iroh extended his hand, motioning to the other side of the table. 

“Of course. But, I can’t stay long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon how often I absolutely drool over the clothes in this. I'm a fashion historian and I absolutely thrive on the clothing options. If you'd like to get an idea for where clothing inspo may come from, check out fan bing bing in the empress of china. its magical. 
> 
> leave comments pls !! they light up my life.


	5. Chapter 5

Two Years Ago  
Kyoshi Island  
Sokka’s Wedding

No one had prepared for the celebrity that followed the Gaang after their victory over Ozai and Zuko’s subsequent declaration of peace. Though both Aang and Sokka had taken to it, since both were so good with people and happy for the attention, the constant eyes on everyone was unsettling. 

When Sokka and Suki announced their wedding, it was posted in papers across the globe, and people from all over sent wedding gifts in celebration. Some also sent letters, either congratulating them, presenting their dismay that both Sokka and Suki were marrying people besides the strangers who’d written them, and some were angry, filled with hate and reiterating that the Fire Nation were the proper rulers of the world. It was all strange, unexpected, though many of the gifts were welcome. Things like money, food, clothes, and furniture all filled the crates and bags sent to them. 

Many were from nobility, people who didn’t want to be strangers with the people who’d saved the world, some were from fans, and all had to be tested for poisons. Most of the food and money went to charities (only the food was missed, and only by Sokka). 

The wedding itself was painfully large. They hadn’t intended it to be, but they’d come into friendship with some very powerful people in the three years since the end of the war, and they all seemed to assume an invitation would be extended to them. With no desire to wind up on their bad side, the guest list seemed to become never ending. It seemed like it was going to make the whole thing more of a social affair than a wedding. 

But, when the day had come, it didn’t matter that there were hundreds of people that neither bride nor groom had wanted there on their day. 

Suki was set in a chair in front of a vanity with her face covered in a mud mask. The room was filled with women, all readying themselves for the wedding. Despite the flurry of skirts and the rush of the female warriors putting on their ceremonial makeup, Katara knelt by Suki as calm and matronly as ever. 

“Are you nervous?” She asked with a smile, anointing Suki’s hands with an oil derived from the spicebush. 

“No,” Suki claimed, opening one eye carefully to look down at Katara. “Why would you say that?”

“You’re shaking.” Katara pointed out, still massaging the oil into Suki’s hands. 

“Oh, am I?” She sucked in a breath, releasing it in one slow breath. 

“I can feel your heart from here,” Toph told her, tying a jade ring to a braided cord and fixing it to the sash around her waist. 

“The floors are wooden,” Suki argued. 

“Fine, then. I can hear your heart from here. Better?” 

She rolled her eyes, “Much. How much longer until I can take this mud mask off?”

“Now, if you want.” Toph turned and walked in her and Katara’s direction, masterfully avoiding bumping in to any of the moving women who were still milling about to get their own outfits ready. 

“Please. I still need to get dressed.” 

“Oh, geez, so do I.” Katara had spent so much time getting her soon-to-be sister in law ready for the wedding that she hadn’t even thought about getting ready herself. Though Suki’s apparel was much more tedious, Katara couldn’t help her get dressed if she herself was still wearing her dressing gown. 

Katara quickly pulled on her thick blue under skirt, doing up the ties on the inside carefully. The skirt itself was one traditionally worn at southern weddings. The overskirt was a sheer blue fabric, with shining pearls beaded all along the fabric in intricate patterns. The top she wore was the same dark blue and was told from the dress by a white silk hem and matching décolletage, and pearls were beaded there in a pattern similar to what was on her skirt. If this were a watertribe, she’d be wearing a ceremonial parka with the same designs as the skirt and blouse, but the island was far too warm for furs. Katara’s hair was left down, pinned above the ear on either side by silver clips. 

She wondered how out of place she would look, surrounded by Earth Kingdom citizens and the Kyoshi warriors. She was likely the only Water Tribe woman in attendance, aside from their grandmother, and this fashion of wool skirt and carefully placed pearls wasn’t one she’d seen anywhere else. Even as different as she may look beside the sea of greens and yellows, having seen the outfit Suki had planned, Katara knew no eyes would be on her. 

It took half the room to get Suki dressed. Everything about her satin and silk ensemble had to be pinned, sewn, and tied in just the right way to meet the standards of a ceremony as important as the wedding of a Kyoshi warriors. They carefully dressed her in the expensive layers of silks and satins of her jūnihitoe, the greens and yellows and delicate hand painted flowers made one of the most intricately crafted wedding ensembles Katara had ever seen. Her hair was left down, and her traditional warrior makeup was donned. Suki herself put her headband on, and she smiled at herself in the mirror. 

After a few calming breaths, she seemed ready. Suki knew that at any given moment, she was bound to become overwhelmed with emotion, but she tried her best to keep calm and get through the day. She could cry later, when her face wasn’t painted pure white and she wasn’t wearing the most expensive set of clothes she owned. Even if her makeup is water resistant, the amount of tears she was likely to shed was enough to cut through even the strongest of makeup. 

“You look beautiful,” Katara smiled. She couldn’t help the knot in her throat, couldn’t stop the joy she felt for her brother and her friend. A part of her hadn’t thought they’d actually get married. In truth, Sokka didn’t seem like the marrying type. They were both so young, and they were the second in their group to get married. 

Zuko’s wedding had been first, marrying Mai not long after the war had ended, and it had been the most expected. No one else had any intention of marrying so soon, it had seemed. Even Aang’s proposal had seemed like it was only said because Zuko had set a precedent. Even if it had severely damaged their friendship. Surely he hadn't thought she would say yes? He was only twelve, and she wasn’t much older than that. His argument was that Zuko had only been sixteen, that they were children too. Katara reminded him that Zuko had just been coronated, that he needed a queen as soon as possible, Aang had retaliated with the fact that he’d just saved the world. The argument had ended ugly, and neither had been eager to apologize. They were both waiting for the other, and they were both too stubborn to say it first. 

“Thank you,” Suki smiled. “I guess I have to be, since we’re going to have royalty in our midst.” 

“Oh, that’s right!” Katara laughed, knowing she wasn’t talking about the princes and princesses who’d come to be able to talk about how they were at the wedding between two of the saviors of the free world. “The Fire Lord walks among us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooo a flashback episode. imma do a few of these chapters through out, to talk about things that happened in the past in a little more detail. i intend to eventually cover most of suki & sokkas wedding. the next one won't be a flashback, just in case i forget to put it at the front. 
> 
> inspiration for katara's skirt was drawn from lehengas 
> 
> important q: bc i write short chapters, I'm able to update more often (so far it has been one or two chapters a day). would you rather i keep doing that, or would you prefer longer chapters? at this point, i'm just chopping chapters up so you're getting shorter chapters more often rather than long chapters once or twice a week. 
> 
> please leave comments, questions, and thoughts below !!


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko sat cross-legged on the cushion beside Katara so that he and Iroh were facing each other. Iroh still wore his gentle, happy smile as he steeped the tea leaves. The fragrance filled the otherwise still air as they all settled comfortably at the low table. 

Now, Katara looked at Zuko while he sat quietly and watched his uncle do what he enjoyed most. For the first time she saw just how long his hair had gotten since she’d last seen him. She hadn’t noticed before, she hadn’t been thinking about assessing him this way when he’d greeted her in her room earlier that morning. He wore it in the style that most firelords wore it in, with the bottom half left to hang straight down his back. The top half was in a knot around his crown, held together by a thick red band. She noticed, perhaps also for the first time, just how much he looked like his father. From his heavy, downturned brow to the sharp angle of his jaw. 

The strong familial resemblance was jarring. As if sometimes Katara has forgotten the horrors of the past, and suddenly she’d just remembered everything. But, Zuko’s scar served as a constant reminder that he was so far from being his father. A small smile lifted her cheeks, and her blue eyes drifted back over to Iroh. Their gaze met for a moment, and she realized he had been watching her watch him. 

“Tea, young Master Katara?” Iroh asked with a knowing lift of his heavy brow. 

“Oh, yes, thank you.” She passed him her teacup and saucer, and he went to his knees. For someone who’s clumsiness Katara had witnessed on many occasions, Iroh never failed to make the ceremonial activity graceful. “Iroh, do you still have your tea shop?” Katara asked this question every time she saw Zuko’s uncle. Not because she thought he would ever close it down, but rather because she knew Iroh likes to talk about it. 

And talk he did. He explained to her that the shop was still as busy as ever, and that he was training a young boy as his protégé. The boy was about her age, and he was half Earth Kingdom, half Fire Nation. Apparently he was quite handsome, and Iroh offered to introduce the pair. 

“Thank you, Iroh,” Katara felt Zuko shift on the matt, and she didn’t look at him. “I’m not looking to be introduced to anyone right now. Not in the sense that I want a matchmaker, anyways. I’m still very busy, far too busy to have anyone trying to court me.”

“Oh, of course. And you are still so young. I forget that Nephew married so hastily, and you’re all so mature. Age escapes me.”

“Uncle, Katara receives a number of marriage proposals daily. She won’t need your help when she decides to marry,” Zuko chastised, watching as Iroh moved to pour his tea. 

“You think the boy from my tea shop would be brave enough to send her father a proper marriage proposal?”

“Well, no but–” Katara was laughing, and Zuko’s unscarred cheek tinged pink. 

“I thought I’d give the poor lad a fighting chance.” Katara laughed harder. 

“Uncle!”

“You’re right. Maybe I should meet him. What do you think, Fire Lord. Should I invite him to dinner?” Katara looked at him with lifted brows and a playful smile. Something dark swirled behind his yellow eyes that silenced Katara. 

“If that’s what you want.” His voice was careful and measured. Zuko swallowed down his tea in unceremoniously long gulps before standing and bowing to his uncle. “If that’s all, I’ll take my leave.” 

“Zuko—“ Katara started, but he was already out the door.

Iroh hummed, sipping from his own cup slowly, his eyes closed. “I think our teasing annoyed Nephew. Patience didn’t come with age, I’ve learned.”

Katara was still watching the door he’d Just disappeared through.

“Maybe I should go talk to him,” She sighed at his dramatics. “I’ll be back.”

“I will be here,” Iroh started slowly. “Drinking my tea.” 

Katara went off after the Fire Lord, her skirts rustling with the motion. He wasn’t far ahead, or maybe it was just that the hallway was really long, and he hadn’t had the chance to turn yet. 

“Zuko,” She called after him, paying no mind to the servants and soldiers who were all bowing their heads as they both passed.

Zuko didn’t turn initially, and Katara sped up. Her gait was something between trying to walk with the dignity expected of her and trying run as smoothly as possibly in an attempt to close the distance he was putting between them with his long legs and apparent aggravation. “Zuko, wait!” She was closer now, and he paused his motion. 

Katara finally caught up, her brows furrowed as she looked up at him in expectant silence. 

His own gaze was just as expectant, his eyebrow quirked while he waited. “What?”

“What was that?” She finally began, hushing her tone. 

“What was what? I told you I couldn’t be there long.”

“You huffed off. Your uncle and I were only teasing. Why did that vex you?” 

“It didn’t,” Zuko insisted. “You can do whatever you want.”

“I know I can, but you looked at me like…”

“Like what?”

“You know what.” 

He scoffed and started walking away, but Katara had him by the wrist before he could. 

“Let go,” He frowned. 

“No. I want you to talk to me.”

“About what?”

“About why a joke bothered you so much?”

Zuko was famously jealous, but he had no right to that here. Not with her. 

“It didn’t.” He pushed again, and Katara became incensed. 

“Oh, La, why are you being so-“

“Stupid? Selfish? Childish?” Zuko interrupted. 

“All of the above,” Katara frowned. “You don’t get to be so… jealous. Especially over nothing.”

“I don’t?”

“No! Something that happened two years ago didn’t turn me into your kept woman!” Her voice was barely audible now, but it was loud enough to ruffle Zuko’s feathers, and he dragged her into the closest room. 

Katara wasn’t sure what the room was. It was void of nearly anything, save a lattice window and a long table covered in a massive map of the world. A war room, maybe? 

Zuko hadn’t had the chance to retaliate against her accusation before she was off again, still burning intensely. 

“You don’t get to act like you have any right to anger over me getting married, especially when it was so plainly a joke. I’m not yours and you,” She jabbed a finger at him, voice still quiet even though they were alone. “You are a married man.”

Zuko’s eyes were intense, glowing in the light of the pair of lanterns above the door that were burning behind her.

She paused, gave him a once over, and stepped back from him. “Unless…” he closed his eyes. “Are the rumors true?”

“Rumors?” Zuko finally spoke, and his voice was low. “What rumors?”

“That you’re getting a divorce.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Like I said, rumors.”

“Those aren’t the kind of rumors I’d want spreading around. Who told you.” 

“So it’s not true, then?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Is it, or isn’t it?” Katara huffed. All she’d wanted to do was chastise him for acting on an impulse he didn’t have a right to, mistakes aside. She hadn’t intended to bring up his personal life, certainly not his marriage. But she had, and now she was waiting for answers, desiring the truth.

Zuko paused again, his lips pulled in a tight line. With his eyes downcast, Zuko finally gave Katara the answer she was waiting for. 

“It’s true. Mai and I aren’t together anymore. But it isn’t official yet.”

Katara’s brows pulled together, the look on her pretty features softening to something filled more with concern. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it isn’t official,” He repeated. “My viziers don’t want news about it spreading until Mai and I have properly discussed… things.” 

“I’m sorry, Zuko.” Katara sighed, her sorrow genuine for him. He was her friend, after all, and no one wants to watch their friend go through so much pain. In the last two years, Zuko had seemed to go through so much, she hardly thought it was fair she’d wanted to chastise him now. 

“Don’t be. It’s got nothing to do with you.” 

Katara knew why he’d said it, and that he hadn’t meant it to be vindictive or cruel, but it struck something in her core painfully. “I didn’t mean to suggest… No, I just meant, I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this.” 

“I don’t want to think about it. Not with everything else I have to deal with. And now you’re here, and with the New Year coming up… we have a lot to deal with. I didn’t want to focus on it until I had to.” The energy in the room had changed greatly since he’d dragged her in here after she almost exposed their mistakes. 

“You still could have told me. You can talk to me about these things, you know? I am your friend.”

Another sigh, and he leaned back against the table. “I’m sorry about earlier. You’re right, I did get bothered.” 

“I noticed.” She laughed and crossed her arms. “Why?”

“Guess?” 

“I don’t want to guess, I want you to say it.”

“I think that’d be a bad idea.” He admitted after a moment of mulling it over. Something swimming behind his eyes solidified that idea.

“You’re right.” Katara pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “You shouldn’t say it.”

Silence befell them, no noise but their soft, even breathing to be heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :^)) 
> 
> comments n questions are very welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

Zuko hadn’t lied about needing to return to his work, though his hasty retreat had been unnecessary. 

After his talk with Katara, he was glad to bury himself in paperwork. She’d stirred up far too many memories within him that he’d worked damned hard to be rid of. It seemed he never would be. They’d follow him forever, showing its face at the most inconvenient of times. So, he had happily went to reading over treatises and petitions. 

For five years, Zuko had not once been able to pause in his attempts to heal the so terribly broken world. Monetarily, the Fire Nation had suffered greatly. They’d had to give the Earth Kingdom a sum of wealth in the billions, on top of the money they’d had to spend to repay the kingdom for the colonies in order to prevent displacement or loss of citizenship for both Earth kingdom citizens and those from the Fire Nation. 

After these initial Earth Kingdom reparations, a deal had been made. Since the Fire Nation relied so heavily on crops from the Earth Kingdom, no more monetary payments would be necessary, so long as they imported at least a certain amount of food from their crops, which would help to heal their largely farm-based economy. It had worked, it seemed, and the kings and governors of the Earth Kingdom weren’t petitioning for money anymore, though complaints still arose over the existence of the colonies. 

The Fire Nation had suffered in its own right. So much of the nation’s economy was built around the seemingly never ending war. As the war ended, the armories and many of the industrial sectors of the government seemed to disappear with it. Their main industries, as it was long before the war, was textiles, education, art, and tourism. Because the Fire Nation had always placed such high importance on improvement and education, they had some of the best schools in the world. After the war, people from the Earth Kingdom and even some Northern water tribesmen had come to the Fire Nation to study, as well as all of those outer islands. 

The Fire Nation happened to create some of the finest clothes because of the nation’s long standing obsession with perfection. Their brocades and hand painted fabrics had become incredibly popular among upper classes. All of these things helped ease the transition from war time to peace within the nation. 

However, for one hundred years, the wealth had been so unevenly distributed that there were lasting effects Zuko was unlikely to see undone in his lifetime, and he still spent innumerable resources trying to rid the most polluted of the villages from the years of toxins, but that alone was near impossible. So much damage had been done within the nations walls, but need dictated that he focus on the nations outside of his own before he could begin repairs within his home. 

Because of all of these things, and because of the consistent need for him to work out what next must be done to further better the world, Zuko was perfectly content to bury himself in his work. Though it was excruciating, and though it was exhausting, his desperate desire to unfurl the damage his undoubtably evil father had set upon the world was paramount. 

What he hadn’t counted on was Katara, the girl who had just moments earlier disrupted his morning with memories he was all too fond of, sitting across from him while he needed to very carefully read and edit suggestions from his viziers. 

Katara was paying him no mind, leaned back in the high back painted chair. Dressed in finery designed by the best Fire Nation royal seamstress, she was somewhat of a distraction. Something about how cooly she sat, small shoulders just barely visible beneath the sheer fabric of her overcoat, lithe fingers he knew could do so much damage sifting through her own papers as she read the petitions she had been sent to discuss. And she was paying him no mind. At least, he’d thought she wasn’t. She hadn’t looked at him, not once in all the time he’d spent watching her. 

But a smile suddenly captured her full lips, one side lifting higher than the other. 

“Stop staring at me,” Katara suggested quietly, and suddenly icy blue eyes were on him. 

“Ah, right. Sorry.” He laughed a little, ducking his head again. 

“Focus, Fire Lord. So that I can focus.” 

He peeked at her again, but she was still watching him, waiting. Embarrassed, he finally returned his attention back on his papers. Another long moment had passed, maybe half an hour, before he looked at her again. Now, she was closer to him, with her papers on the edge of his desk nearest her, her shoulders hunched as she worked with her brush to amend whatever it was she’d been displeased by in the writing. 

After a long while more, Katara let out a sigh. 

“Zuko,” She started, waiting for him to look over at her before she continued. “Can I ask you a question?”  
Zuko shifted back in his seat, his heavy robes rustling with the movement. “Of course.” 

“Do you have a harem?” 

He choked a little on the air, “A harem?” 

“Mhm. My handmaiden brought it up in passing earlier… it piqued my curiosity.”

“Ah, well… technically every woman in my household is a part of my… um… harem. But in the sense that you’re meaning, I think, yes. Technically I do.” He knew he had concubines, and had met them on occasion, though he was far too busy to actually visit them, certainly too busy to choose a consort. The entire idea of it also set him on edge. His father had made regular use of his harem, of which his mother was the head of, and it had been disconcerting. His mother had never been fond of it, and her discomfort had stuck with him. 

“You think?” 

“I’ve never been with any of them.”

“Why not dismiss them, then?” Katara asked curiously. 

“A harem is a normal part of palace life. They’re servants and maids, and they tend to visiting women. They’re also paid, and for many of these women, the money goes to their families. Until I choose someone to be a consort, they’re nothing more than a servant.”

“This doesn’t make any sense to me,” Katara admitted. 

Zuko shrugged. “It’s an old practice. It used to have its purpose, in the way you’re thinking, since when the first imperial Fire Lord left the Fire sages, he didn’t want to marry. There’s a lot to it, a lot of history – keeping women with the intentions or idea that they’ll become a consort is about upholding tradition. It’s there for different purposes… I’m not going to explain all of the reasons to you, there’s too many and for the most part they’re irrelevant to me. My viziers don’t agree, so dismissing them isn’t much of an option.”

“You said all women in your household are a part of the harem?” 

“Yes. So would any children I have, until they’re ‘of age’.”

“So Mai is technically a part of it?”

Zuko nodded, patiently laying out the very basics of this part of his nations customs. “She oversees it. Overseeing the female staff is a large part of her job, though I’ve got others who do it in her stead. Usually, this goes to the dowager queen, not the Fire Lady.” 

“I see.” It still didn’t make much sense to her, and she had one thousand and one questions she could pose, but she figured she’d pry the information from elsewhere. Though it made her realize just how naïve Li Xiu really was, and how much the young handmaiden depended on people with equally little understanding of palace life to teach her things. Mai’s absence, and the absence of a Fire Lady during most of Ozai’s rule, probably meant a lot of people in the harem didn’t fully grasp the concept. She wondered if there was a scroll on it somewhere, and then another thought occurred to her. 

“Zuko? Is there a library here somewhere?”

“Of course. Do you want me to show you?”

“No, I’ll get a guard to take me.” She stood, bowed politely, and made her exit. 

Katara got one of the many guards patrolling the halls to escort her to the library, Li Xiu still hot on her trail. Katara had only been in a few libraries like this in the past, and this one certainly took her breath away. It wasn’t that it was extravagant or fabulously decorated. In fact it was a great, dark, looming beast filled with long banners that hung at least three stories high, gathering at the ground in bloody pools of velvet. It was the sort of room that sort of swallowed you whole. 

She shouldn’t be so deeply unsettled by the room, she told herself, but she was. Something about its shadowed expanse reminded her of the past. It was like a welt. A bruise on the otherwise beautiful palace. 

“It’s creepy,” Li Xiu whispered, and Katara laughed a little. She looked over at Li Xiu, smiling at her youth. 

“It is.” She sighed, fetching one of the lanterns that burned by the door and setting off through the sprawling shelves and hunting down anything that would answer the questions she hadn’t asked Zuko. 

It wasn’t just scrolls on the harems history, but on the customs and traditions of the Fire Nation's past. Something about the way Zuko had talked about the old customs had made her curious about what the nation was like before it had become a ugly, evil beast hellbent on world domination. With her arms full, she made her escape of the room, going back to her apartments and getting to reading. 

A lot of it was in an old dialect unfamiliar to her, but she made out what she could. She sat like this, surrounded by the scrolls she’d smuggled from the library, reading about all these things about court life which she’d never needed to know.

It felt wrong burrowing herself within politics with someone who’s history and culture she didn’t know. A big part of her, the part that still seethed at the very idea of peace with the Fire Nation after everything Zuko and his people had done, particularly the sins of his father, wanted to dash it aside. That part of her didn’t care about the history and customs of this hot and arid nation. 

She had to swallow that part down constantly, reminding herself that Zuko wasn’t the enemy anymore, that he hadn’t been for quite some time now. They were both doing what was best for their own people, and Zuko had been largely focused on what was best for her people. The reparations owed by the Fire Nation, and the altruistic way Zuko was going about it all, had forced him even further away from doing what was best solely for his own. He’d sacrificed selfish focus for a scope of the entire world, just as he’d done during the war. 

So, Katara thought, she owed it not only to him but to the people he had been forced to neglect in order to help keep the peace, to understand the culture and the people beyond the war. 

She spent hours like this, not realizing just how much time had passed, until a heavy knock came from her door. 

At her approval, the door opened, and a guard with his head bowed stepped just inside. 

“Master Katara. Will you be taking dinner in your room?”

“Oh, is it time for dinner already?” She considered it, looking at the mess of scrolls she’d scattered all about her. “No, I suppose I ought converse with people.” Katara stood and checked herself in her vanity mirror. “After all, I officially get to politicking tomorrow. I should savor my freedom while I have it.” She realized she’d already missed that opportunity. She’d spent half of her day in Zuko’s office, reading over the manuscripts she would be presenting to different dignitaries later, and the rest had been reading scroll after scroll on Fire Nation history. 

“Shall I escort you?” The guard offered, head still bowed. 

“Sure. I doubt I’d ever find it otherwise.” 

Katara followed the guard, and Li Xiu followed Katara. Katara wondered when she would leave, when Li Xiu took care of herself. Throughout the day, there had been plenty of times when Li Xiu was not with her, but it hardly seemed enough for her to be her own person. Then again, this was Li Xiu’s job. She otherwise lived inside of the palace, and perhaps she was only so attentive because it was Katara’s first day in the palace. Li Xiu had suggested that later she would be granted more handmaidens, perhaps it was to lessen the burden of any one servant having to cling to her throughout the entire day. Again, none of these things made sense to her. 

The drama and customs inside of the court were still their own foreign entity. As foreign and as expansive as the seemingly never ending palace halls. She passed a great deal of guards who, though they all respectfully bowed their heads, turned their eyes up towards her as she passed, too curious to catch a glimpse of the Water Tribe girl who had helped their king end a hundred year war, and for whom said king nearly died. 

She didn’t know yet why they all bowed this way, though the curiosity was nibbling at her. Maybe she’d ask Zuko this, instead of continuing to scour through the scrolls for answers when someone who simply knew the answers. 

Of course, Zuko didn’t actually know, and he told her so when she leaned in and asked when she passed him on her way to her seat at the long dining table. It was simply another old custom whos origins no longer served with any relevance. Teachings no one had thought to abandon in the name of ‘tradition’. Curiosity prattled on, but she paid it no mind. 

Instead, she took her seat. She was to the left of Zuko, across from Iroh who was at Zuko’s right. He was his most trusted advisor, so it only made sense. Beside Katara was another vizier, one who’s name she’d yet to learn. She’d hardly been there long enough to settle when she noticed the nameless vizier was staring at her, his amber eyes wide. 

She leaned in a little, so as to not disrupt or call attention to them outside of the conversations which had already begun amongst other viziers and noblemen and women who all dined that night at the Fire Lord’s table. “What?” 

“That’s Fire Lady Mai’s seat,” He said, just as quietly.

“Oh,” Katara bristled, eyes flicking between the vizier, Iroh, and Zuko. “Should I move?” She said this just loud enough for the Fire Lord and the vizier to her right to hear. 

“No,” Zuko assured her, his own gaze drifting from her to the vizier. “No sense in leaving the seat empty, hm?” 

Finally able to settle back into the seat (though she now felt oddly out of place, as if barging in on a space where she did not necessarily belong), she looked over the spread of food. It seemed ridiculous, the amount of options seemed endless. Zongzi, bao, scallion pancakes, rice, several different kinds of fish, curried meats and porcelain boats of fragrant sauces, boiled eggs (both soft and hard), potatoes, steamed cabbage in some sort of spicy red sauce, and chana masala hardly even touched half of what was on the part of the table Katara could see. She knew, from what the men were excitedly talking about a few seats down, that there were rare delicacies from parts of animals Katara would never dare to eat somewhere on this table. 

She was eager to dig into all of it, though a past of getting burned by Fire Nation cuisine and a desire to maintain the grace she fought to have (years of yelling at her brother meant she could never at the part of a pig at the dinner table, though sometimes she desperately wanted to stuff her face) stopped her. Pretty servants dressed similarly to Li Xiu came around and politely asked what she wanted before taking her plate and putting a respectable amount of each of those things on the dish. 

When it was returned to her, she very gladly set to tasting each thing, careful to keep her cup filled with the diluted red wine so she didn’t set her mouth aflame. Conversations were good that night, many of the noblemen and women spoke to her with as much curiosity as she knew she had been filled with earlier that day. She answered them gladly, and asked them things in turn. Katara also chimed in on political discussions, and at one point got into an almost heated argument with Zuko about one story in particular from their time together during the war.   
By the end of the night, when everyone had said their goodbyes, their breath reeking of alcohol and their cheeks red with it, Katara had found herself by the pond in the garden. 

She was pushing and pulling a light wave in the water, watching the turtleducks bob with the rise and fall. Katara’s knees were pressed to her chest, her chin resting on them in the squat while her fingers tugged at the pond. 

“I was told I’d find you here,” A familiar voice said from behind her. “Under the moon, by the water. I should have known.” 

Katara smiled and hummed, looking over her shoulder at him. “Where I’m at my best.”

Zuko’s own smile mirrored hers, and he offered her his hand. She took it, moving to stand beside him. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

“So am I. Even if it’s not a social event, and even if tomorrow I start a precession of never ending meetings with state officials.” 

“Even if. It’s been an awfully long two years, and you don’t write enough.” 

“I don’t? You have your secretary to write for you!”

“But the letters get sent!” He laughed. 

Katara realized then that she still had his hand in hers, her skin encompassed in his far-too-warm grip. “You’re drunk, Zuko” She noted. 

“Hm. So I am.”

A smile spread over her face as she rocked back on her heels. “Goodnight, Zuko.” 

And thus, she left him there, standing in the gardens with the turtleducks and the residual waves of her bending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ur comments are most welcome n they make my heart all fuzzy
> 
> also yes, with thanksgiving coming up, i am drooling over all of the food i get to eat. so. again. thanks for dealing w my drooling all over the place in this fic
> 
> just thinkin bout baozi and scallion pancakes


	8. Chapter 8

Firebenders had been awake for hours. The cities here thrummed to life at the first sign of life, so much earlier than Katara was accustomed to. She had never been one eager to rise early, and thankfully the amount of wine she’d imbibed the night before and the heavy red curtains hanging on each side of her gigantic bed all aided in her endeavors. 

But morning was here, and dawn had eagerly stretched rosy fingers inside of Katara’s apartments. The ornaments decorating her room, each golden and bejeweled trinket, shimmered and fluttered to life. Morning touched each thing eagerly, and outside of the darkness of the canopied bed, life was eagerly awaiting acknowledgement. 

Katara, however, was not eager to give it. Despite every sleepy fiber of her being begging her not to, she gave a catlike stretch and blinked into consciousness. Sobriety had not found her easily, and she groaned in displeasure at the thrum of a headache behind her eyes. Katara gave another stretch, wriggling her toes and fingers. She noted with pleasure that this was one of the first times in a while she’d woken in a bed she could call her own and not be met with cold nipping at her appendages. This was one thing she liked about the Fire Nation. Though she was vehemently disdainful of the sweltering heat, it far beat frostbite. 

Finally, after some time of laying in a tired heap, Katara sat up. 

“Oh, La,” She sighed, combing her fingers through her tangled chocolate hair. Not brushing out her hairdo from the night before had been a mistake she would have to reckon with today. Katara tugged her oversized muslin sleepshirt further up one shoulder in an effort to preserve her modesty before she poked her legs out of the canopy. Her toes met the marble flooring and suddenly she remembered well what waking up in her home felt like. 

With a little shudder, Katara pulled herself from the mattress and teetered across the icy floor and down off of the raised platform where her bed was. She ran her fingers over the carved fence that ran along the edge of the dais. She’d learned from her reasons that the fence was there to keep servants and any other early visitors away from the sleeping royal. Another weird custom. Who entertains before they’re even awake? Apparently, in the olden days, visiting dignitaries would gather on the other side and watch the Fire Lord rise in the morning. Katara shuddered at the idea. 

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she made her way into the main area of her apartment. The room where it actually made sense to entertain. Though the door separating the two rooms was hardly a door, more of an arch with a heavy curtain, which Katara pushed to the side when she passed through. She jumped when she noticed the maid standing with her head bowed at the wall adjacent from where her bedchamber was. 

The girl was dressed similarly to Li Xiu, a design of clothing she’d noticed was popular among the female maids (perhaps because the absence of sleeves and wide, stiff skirts were good for working in), though the color palettes were different, and she had no hand painted design on her cheongsam blouse. Instead, around her waist she wore a thin corded belt with a large gold medallion tied at one end. The girl looked older than Li Xiu, also, with a darker complexion and dark brown - almost black - eyes. She was pretty, it seemed most of the women who worked at the palace was, and she did little to accentuate what was certainly a natural beauty. 

“Good Morning, Master Katara,” the woman said, her voice even and measured. “I will be serving you this morning. Would you like me to draw you a bath?”

“Good morning,” Katara replied groggily. “Oh, yes please. I probably stink of wine, still.” 

She didn’t know what to do while she waited. Katara was still too tired to actually form a coherent thought, and she just stood there in her oversized shirt awkwardly while the new handmaiden ushered in the vases of water to fill her bath. She felt strange about these in-room-baths, missing the natural hot springs where she would usually bathe. She was able to use her bending to bathe, and she could stay submerged for as long as she wanted without the water cooling. Though, with the bending of the women who insisted on assisting her bathing, her tub water didn’t cool either, but it was the reliance on the benders to keep it warm that bothered her. She wasn’t going to complain, though. It seemed such a silly problem to have. 

When the tub was full, Katara slipped in happily. The warm water covered her to her chin, and she dipped down just a little further to wet her face before she let the maids get to work scrubbing her as they had the day before. They didn’t use sugar scrubs this day, since doing so would damage her skin more than renew it, instead they used a soap that didn’t have any particular strong scent. They combed her hair and cleaned her nails, and at some point the woman who had taken Li Xiu’s place for the morning looked at Katara curiously. 

“Master Katara, have you visited the bathhouses yet?” She asked, her voice soft and careful. 

“I didn’t even know that there were bathhouses,” Katara admitted. 

“Oh, yes. They’re in a different building, but I can have someone show you later, if you’d like?” 

“I’d like that very much.” She nodded. 

When she was done bathing, Katara bent all of the water from her body and wrapped herself in her dressing gown. Since she had already slept in, she couldn’t dally away the time while her hair dried like she had the day before. 

On this day, Katara’s plans included mainly a meeting with the head of a large trading company who often did business with the water tribes, as well as acted as shipping liaisons for some traders in the Earth Kingdom. There were a few other small meetings she had throughout the day, but they were mainly formalities or interviews. 

She had decided that if she was to represent her home, she ought wear it proudly. So when Katara dressed, she put on a white silk wrap blouse that she tied with a thick sash and a deep blue pair of pants that were cut and pleated in a way that made them look almost like a skirt. Her hair she left down, the thick waves hanging down to her waist. She didn’t look like royalty, though she couldn’t be mistaken for peasantry. Her outfit presented her as an established woman, but not one to be mistaken for anything less than a businesswoman. 

She found, when dressed in gossamer finery with her hair in delicate updos, she was taken less seriously than if she dressed in a less pretty fashion. Though normally she would have no quarrels correcting someone’s misjudgment, so early in her diplomatic relations, she was not eager to give off any poor impressions. She wasn’t sure what ideals Master Pakku had left his connections in when his position was absolved so she could fill it properly. 

Katara knew Pakku wouldn’t have filled them with any resentment towards Katara personally, of course. He was too taken with her grandmother to risk her poor favor. But she remembered his sexism in the Northern Tribes far too well, it’s bitter taste a consistent reminder of the regressive mindsets of some men. 

Katara selected the papers she needed to take with her to her meeting and smiled at her handmaiden. “I’ll take my leave now. I need to go to the East conference room.”

The maid bowed and nodded, knocking for her so the guard would open the door. “The East Conference room,” she directed. 

Katara followed both the guard, her maid trailing respectfully behind. 

“Oh,” She looked over her shoulder. “I wasn’t able to ask before, but what is your name?”

The woman looked at her curiously, as if people didn’t usually ask her that. “Yanmei, Madame.”

“Yanmei. Thank you for your help this morning.”

“It’s my duty, and an honor.” She replied almost dismissively, as if uninterested in any kindness Katara may extend. 

So, instead of making small talk with Yanmei, she tried to remember the route they were taking. She counted off the lefts and the rights and the murals they passed through the winding labyrinth away from the royal family’s wing. 

The East Conference, as it turned out, was in the far East wing, with a large window opening out to the courtyard. You could see the tops of mountains, and if you were early enough, you could probably watch the sun rise over the tree spackled tops. This part of the courtyard also held a large koi pond who’s top was decorated with a spattering of lily pads. 

The man she was to meet with was already there, and Katara entered with a respectful bow, which was returned in kind. 

“Peizhi?” She asked when she stood, going to the opposite side of the long table. 

“Ah, no. Peizhi is my father, but illness sent me in his stead. I am Guozhi.” He smiled, and Katara noted that it was a nice smile, inviting and warm. “Though, and pardon my saying it, but from my fathers description of you, I thought you would be an old man.”

Katara couldn’t help but laugh, “Your father must have met with Pakku – he served as ambassador in my absence. I am Katara.”

“Katara? You helped to end the war, didn’t you?” Wide, dark eyes stared at her. “It’s quite the honor to meet you.” Guozhi bowed again, this one deeper than the first. 

“Thank you,” she noted, finally looking him over when he stood. He was handsome, his dark hair braided back, though a few shorter pieces framed his angular face. Guozhi had the same sharp nose that was so common in the Fire nation, with elongated dark eyes and sharp, thick eyebrows. His skin was sunny and dark, and when he smiled, little dimples pushed into his cheeks. He was dressed well in the reds and blacks that were most common, his undershirt made of what was most likely silk, and he wore a sleeveless robe in a darker shade over it, tied at the waist with a corded gold belt. 

“Perhaps we should get to work,” Guozhi suggested, starting for her side of the table to pull her chair out for her. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Katara insisted, but she still accepted the seat and let him push it under the able. 

When he sat across from her, Katara leaned forward and spread her papers out across the surface of the table. “Foremost, we need to establish new trading routes. Fire Nation ships are large and difficult to maneuver, and the icebergs in the south are constantly shifting…” She started, and over the course of the next few hours, the pair had devised plans for trade routes as well as signed contracts in the case of missing or damaged goods. 

The pair had often gone on tangents and talked about other things. Katara learned that Guozhi was studying business at one of the top schools in the Fire Nation so that he could efficiently take over his father’s business. She also learned that Guozhi hadn’t initially been the heir to Peizhi’s company, but that his oldest brother had died near the end of the war, and so Guozhi had stopped studying medicine to instead ready himself for the burden of being the president of one of the largest international trading companies. 

She had also learned that he was most fond of one particular small island situated north of the Earth Kingdom, where hundreds of variations of olive fruits, and that their oil was proving a very profitable investment. He told Katara that he thought she out keep her eye out for them, and should try them if given the chance. 

They’d talked and worked for so long that they hadn’t noticed just how much time had passed. But a swift knock at the door and a servant coming in with a tray of tea and teacups knocked the busy vibe from the room. 

Katara glanced outside, and the grounds were bathed in the gold of the late afternoon. An older woman was cutting flowers from their stalks, most likely building the bouquet for the dinner that night. 

“What time is it?” Katara asked the servant who was pouring tea from the kettle into the painted porcelain tea cups. 

“Four hours past noon, Master Katara,” He replied with a bowed head. 

“Oh, dear. Well then, perhaps we should wrap this up?” Katara suggested, and Guozhi nodded while he sipped his tea. 

“We ought. I live on the other side of the city, my mother will scold me if I miss dinner.” He said dramatically, something in his tone suggesting that his mother scolding him wasn’t something of a worry anymore. “Though, she honestly only does it because she fears I’ll set a bad example for my sister.” Guozhi told her while she began to organize her papers again. 

“How old is your sister?” Katara asked, binding the parchment with a ribbon before taking a sip of her own tea. 

“Fourteen this year,” He explained, watching the servant back out of the room with his head still bowed. “Ever noticed how none of the servant’s ever look at you?” 

“Yes. I’ve not figured out the real reason yet. I asked Zu- the Fire Lord, and he told me it was just an old custom.” 

“Mm. It’s because the old religion said it was inappropriate for a man of a lower status to look at an unmarried woman of a higher class. Originally, in the old-old religion, it was any man to any woman outside of the immediate family, but it shifted to be a sign of privilege as time went on. Ever notice those large, gauzy curtains along the side of the throne room?” Katara nodded, “That’s where the high powered women would sit. So men couldn’t see their faces directly but could address them if need be. They’re all over the place, if you look for them.”

“How do you know all of this?” 

“I studied history when I first went to university to be a doctor, back when the war was still going on.” He explained. 

“I have a lot of questions about Fire Nation history, maybe we can get together some time and discuss it?” She asked politely, and he smiled brightly. 

“I’d love to put my knowledge to the test.” Guozhi bowed again before the guard came in to escort him out of the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to get to this! I've had a super busy weekend and didn't really have time to work on it. 
> 
>  
> 
> Idk how active I'll be able to be over this week, either. I'll be with family all throughout, so I may not get to it for a minute. 
> 
> Also - THANK YOU to everyone who has commented on this thus far. I know I haven't really been replying to anyone, but know I'm always beaming when I see you've left them. Just know how fuzzy it makes my heart feel <3 
> 
> Happy Holidays! 
> 
> Love you guys


	9. Chapter 9

The following days were only slightly different. She met with politicians and discussed things such as trade, education, and immigration. Largely, the Southern Water Tribe was an independent state with little need for outside contact. Instead, Katara’s presence was to widen the acknowledgement of the tribe as its own legitimate entity. Because they were so small, it was easy to forget them. Instead, Katara intended to make their presence within politics on a global scale one equal with the larger nations and cities. 

A large part of Katara’s job was simply to be there. She would promote her state and its culture, and speak for it during talks on treatises. Her presence alone, reminding everyone that they were still there, was her job. Getting the many meetings out of the way with those who’d scheduled them for a plethora of reasons was her earliest concern. She did so with the great amount of dignity that was expected of the princess of the Southern Water Tribe, and she found out which politicians she liked and didn’t like rather swiftly. It would make for easy navigation at the next imperial ball, at least. 

On the subject of Zuko, Katara was able to think only a little. He was so busy all the time, she really only saw him at dinner. Even then they were so engulfed in the conversations with the surrounding guests she hardly found herself able to ask him how his day was. This was fine, she thought. She was here to work, and a part of her was scared that if they spent to much time with each other, they would both start dwelling in the past. 

But Katara worried for her friend nonetheless. He was so obviously tired. His nights went far past sunset, and Katara knew from her hours of exploring that he spent those late hours training. He would wake up early in the morning for prayer, which seemed to be a very ceremonial event. Being Fire Lord was a holy appointment, and thus he had to pay homage to the gods they worshipped nightly. Katara didn’t actually know if Zuko was religious, but she knew he rose just before sunrise to kneel before a pair of statues - one of Agni, the other of the Goddess of Ash, Svaha - and would press his forehead to the ground before going through some sort of motion including a red dye and a powder of the same colors. 

Katara had also gone into town one day and spoke with Guozhi over tea about some things that had fascinated her. She found that they were becoming fast friends, and the pair had decided to meet again sometime before she was escorted back to the palace. 

It wasn’t until the weekend that Katara was able to spend any social time with Zuko. They’d sparred together at dawn, which had ended with Zuko on his back, panting up at her. His forehead glistened in the pink light before Zuko wiped it away with the sleeve of his wrapped shirt. 

“You’ve gotten better, Waterbender.” He mocked, which were considerably bold words considering he’d just moments before had the wind knocked out of him. 

“Haven’t I always managed to get you on your back?” She retorted, extending a hand to help him up. 

A sly grin rugged at his thin lips and he reached up to accept her hand. “I think I’ve gotten you on yours a few times in the past.” 

A dark blush flooded her cheeks and Katara wrenched her hand away from him. “I’m warning you.” She threatened, arms in a stance ready to draw the water she’d discarded a moment ago back to her. 

Zuko landed flat again, letting out a displeased groan when he did. “Dammit,” he moaned dramatically. “I forfeit.”

“Let’s not pretend I beat you through forfeiture,” She helped him up all the way this time. She bent the sweat from her body, but still felt like she was caked in dust and grime. Her skin felt stiff with it, and she took a deep breath. Decidedly, this was a better way to spend her mornings, even if she would never tire of sleeping in and waking up to mango sticky rice and a readied bath. Nothing beat sparring with someone who could easily be your perfect foil. 

“Who’s pretending?” Zuko’s breathing was still shallow, and it made his puffed up pride even more laughable. “I went easy on you. You’re just persistent.” 

“Persistence is key,” She grumbled, still thinking about his teasing words moments before. A few emotions flooded her, though the one she clung to was annoyance. She couldn’t let any of the others swim to the top, his suggestiveness has been inappropriate. Though it seemed neither of them had let go of what happened at Sokka’s wedding. Katara was trying her damndest not to let her reminiscence win out. Her stubbornness had long since decided that a married man had no place in her heart or in her bed. 

But he isn’t married anymore, she thought despite herself. The thought was followed immediately by silent cursing and aggravation. 

She glanced over at him without turning her head to find him staring. “I’m going to take a bath,” she’d been meaning to try it out since she’d been shown where it was earlier that week. 

Before she could walk away, Zuko spoke. “Oh, by the way. Thanks for sparring with me this morning. I’d forgot what it was like to have a worthy opponent.”

At this she smiled and tipped her head. “Glad to. I’ll kick your ass any day of the week, Fire Lord. Just name the time and place.”

Zuko made his own departure as Katara started for the bathhouse. She had a few guards accompanying her, something she’d noticed anytime she was outside of the main palace. Li Xiu had also finally returned to her service, and Katara found she preferred her company over the other servants. 

The bathhouse was as ornate and beautiful as Katara had expected. The walls were white and the ceiling stood up at least another half story. Lights with green lattice lamp shades hung in between each archway who’s columns stood on the edge of the massive pool of steaming water. Katara took it all in as she unwrapped her sarashi and set it on top of her thick bathing robe. 

She pulled a white bathing towel around her naked body and pinned it shit with a little medallion before bending the hot water into her large copper bathing dish. She was completely alone in this room, though the carried sound of voices meant that in one of the other two rooms was a group of talking women. Katara wondered briefly who they were, but knew that rooms in the bath house were open to all of the women of the house, so it was likely just servants she’d never met. She used a rag to rub off most of the dirt, bending the dirty water off of the cloth into a krater meant for just that. Once her skin was dust free and able to breath, she bent the water through her hair and combing soap through her darkened locks. When she was done bathing, she dumped the remaining water over her head so she could rinse out the rest of the soap. 

Following the tradition that had been explained to her when he’d first been shown the bathhouse, Katara padded across the small yellow tiles grooved to prevent slipping and went into the next room intended for cooling oneself. 

Though, inside the room wasn’t some one she’d expected to see. 

Even with a towel over her face, Mai was easy to recognize. Her long, pale legs stretched out from under the wrap, and her inky black hair pooling around her hips on the bench. It was the first time Katara had seen her since the end of the war, but she hadn’t changed much. She was still tall and lithe with delicate muscle definition through her arms and legs. Her sharp jaw and small ears was all that she could see. 

That and one single, thin eye watching her from behind heavy lids. 

No, that was new. Her eye hadn’t been uncovered moments before. Katara had dazed, staring at her long enough for the young Fire Lady to feel it and remove a corner of the cloth. 

“Fire Lady Mai,” Katara finally bowed respectfully, which was the direct opposite of what she’d done when she’d seen Mai’s husband earlier that week. 

Mai’s hand came up, long fingers pulling the cloth the rest of the way off of her face. Here, her skin was slightly less pale. Likely sunburn from having spent so much time on Ember Island. 

“Good Morning - When Zuko wrote and told me you’d arrived, I left as soon as I could,” She told her in her usual dark, even tone. “I didn’t think you’d be awake yet.” The cloth was still in her hands, but she’d leaned her head back again and closed her eyes. 

“It’s alright. Zuko and I were sparring. This is the earliest I’ve been up since I got here.” She admitted, taking a rolled cloth from the basin of cold water and unfurling it to dab her skin and cheeks. 

A hum came in response from Mai’s direction. “I’ve wanted to talk to you for some time.” She sighed. 

“You have?” Katara lowered herself to the bench, her eyes on her hands as she wrung the cloth through her fingers. 

“Yes.” She didn’t say anything else, and Katara’s brow furrowed as she waited. A long moment passed before Katara could make herself speak again. 

“Oh? Uhm, what - what about?” The waterbender cleared her throat, nervousness notting deep in her belly. 

Finally, after Mai still didn’t speak, Katara dared to lift her eyes to look at the pale queen. It was Mai’s teak eyes she met. Katara was used to Mai being silent, she’d never been very talkative, but something thick and heavy hung between them this time and it was unsettling. Katara tried to read Mai’s emotions, but it wasn’t anger or distrust she found. Something softer that turned her straight brows up in the middle, that tugged her thin, straight mouth down at the corners. 

“I’m worried about him,” She finally admitted, her voice quiet, like saying it to someone she knew as little as Katara had threatened her very existence. “About Zuko.” 

“What do you mean?” Katara pressed. 

“I’m sure he told you…” Another pause, and her gaze settled on the hanging light above them whose latticework was casting the room in shadows. “About our divorce.” 

Katara nodded, which she then realized Mai couldn’t hear, so with another clear of her throat she spoke again. “Y-yes, he did.” 

“Did he tell you why?” 

A shake of her head. Which wasn’t entirely true, but she wanted it explained to her again. More clearly, less rushed. This time Mai did see it, and she continued on. “We never should have gotten married,” She took a deep breath, and the shakiness in it was easily caught. “We loved each other, but we were kids coming out of a war. We were damaged - him more than me, and understandably so.” She spoke like a queen, cool and calm and powerful, Katara noted, listening to her speak more than she’d ever heard her before. “But he had so many duties, and one of them was to secure his reign. And I was there. And I was willing because I loved him. But we were both pressured by his advisors and we never should have bent to their will. I was too young to be a mother, too young to be married. And now I…” This time, it was Mai who cleared her throat. 

“I want to be able to mourn, I don’t want to be expected to turn around and have another baby because Zuko needs an heir. He knew that, he offered me an out and I took it.” Silence settled between them for a long time. Before Katara could muster up anymore words, Mai was speaking again. “I still love him - I realize I used past tense earlier, which isn’t right. I’ll always love him, and that’s why I’m worried. I got offered an out. He wasn’t. He won’t be. When I leave, he’ll be expected to remarry. To get a wife who won’t… who’s heir won’t….” 

Mai leaned her head back, letting out a long breath through her nose. “You’re a healer.” Her voice was low and measured again. “Help him heal.” 

“It doesn’t work like-” 

“You’re his friend. Make it work.” 

“I’ll try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o is this a small update while i'm technically on vacation? 
> 
> yes. it is. i'm passing the time until my sister gets here which is taking forever so i did this really quickly. Next chapter will be a flashback n y'all will get some steamy action as well as have the rest of sokkas wedding covered.
> 
> anyways theres some mai. i really like mai, but I'm a rambler so idk if i'll ever do her justice lmao. be concise? ?? no but thanks for the offer. 
> 
> OOH ALSO i have an au I'm planning w zutara in a modern/tvd inspired kinda way ehehe so keep your eyes out. 
> 
> comments loved <3


	10. Chapter 10

Two Years Ago  
Sokka’s Wedding

Suki and Sokka were sat side by side at the head of the dining table. Hakoda sat to Sokka’s right, and Katara was beside him. 

The wedding ceremony had been a beautiful mix of Kyoshi tradition and that of the Southern Water Tribe. Flowers and special, very fragrant, wine has been in abundance, and no one was without a smile on their faces. 

They had only just settled into their assigned seats for dinner, which consisted of a massive spread of traditional wedding foods. There was a lot of sea food that Katara had never had, things more inclined to live in the warm seas near Kyoshi Island, and not the fatty water tribe animals she was used to. Despite any reservations, nothing disappointed (though she decided she would never ingest another sea urchin from that point on). They all drank to toasts and laughed raucously over stories and memories. Exotic wines made of varieties of fruits filled their cups until none could have more. The troupe ate until their bellies were fill and their plates were all carried away by servants and staff. 

When the food was gone but the feeling of being overstuffed had subdued, music swelled as if on cue from the nearby ballroom. Slowly, patrons filtered out of the dining hall and into the ballroom where dancing commenced gladly. Drunkenness only bolstered their confidence and their fondness for each song that the band played. 

Suki and Sokka rarely parted, sharing nearly every dance with each other. Katara danced with most who came her way and offered their hand. She found none of the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi islanders particularly interesting, but she enjoyed herself anyways. 

She even accepted when Aang, who had grown so much since she’d last seen him, asked for a dance. They talked and laughed and reminisced in a way that, sober, Katara would have admonished. But drunk and floating on happiness for her brother and sister-in-law, she danced happily. It reminded her of those years ago, in the fire nation, when they’d first danced together. The chemistry and easy way their bodies obeyed and kept rhythm with each other. It was a euphoric memory embedded in the scars of the war, as so many had been. She wasn’t unhappy to think on those days. Though the war was tragic, it was the most important fact in her life. It had happened, and it had damaged her so very deeply, but so much good came from its end. And so she danced with Aang for the third time in as many years, and she enjoyed herself despite how her sober consciousness raved at the back of her skull. When they finished, a flurry of emotions that warranted an “I told you so” from her sober self flooded her chest.

Katara skirted around the outside of the ballroom, politely declining requests to dance as she made her quiet escape. 

The quiet of the gardens outside was a welcome reprise now, after her encounter with her ex, and she let the moon wash over her. 

Bathed in her pale light, Katara let the near by ocean pull her to the shores. Here she found her greatest peace. The tug of the water as it lapped at the shores quelled those emotions nipping at her insides. Katara sat down carefully, spreading her dress out so it wasn’t dampened. The farthest reaching tendrils of water tickled her toes and she welcomed the feeling. 

She’d settled onto her back, legs stretched out before her, and let her heavy lids shut. It was because of this that she wasn’t really sure how much time had passed when a familiar, smoky voice roused her from her nap. 

Her eyes blinked open when she heard it, though she didn’t quite catch what he’d said. “Hm?” She hummed, stretching her back and looking up at the Fire Lord who stood almost menacingly above her. 

“I said you left before I could ask you to dance,” there was a slight note in his voice that made Katara feel like he might be scolding her. 

She pushed herself up on her elbows and blinked at him again. “I’m sorry,” Katara finally sighed. “Why did you leave?”

“You looked upset when you left, I got worried.” He admitted. “I’m not staying on Kyoshi Island long, and we haven’t had any time to catch up.”

Katara nodded before patting the sand beside her. “Then let’s catch up.” 

He looked at the sand for a while as if considering it. Understandable, considering he was still dressed in his full regalia. But he did sit, and Katara smiled and bumped his arm with her elbow. 

“Hello, Fire Lord Zuko,” she greeted him dramatically. “How’s the nation?”

“It’s certainly a nation.” He joked. “I’m exhausted.” The way he said this, though, with his shoulders loosening suddenly like a weight had been lifted, Katara knew he likely hadn’t said those words to anyone in quite some time. Though, she would have known by looking at him just how tired he was. There wasn’t a bag under his good eye or anything, it was just something she’d always been able to tell in people. Perhaps it was the natural tug from her healing ability. She liked to think she just knew Zuko well enough to know when exhaustion was settling over him. 

Gold eyes never left her, keeping a steady gaze on Katara. “Are you going to tell me why you left the party?” He finally asked. 

“Do you want me to tell you?”

“Of course. Whatever it is is clearly bothering you.” He gave a lopsided smile, sobriety far from either of them. 

“Aang,” A sigh fell from parted lips. “We danced and it was… weird.” 

“Aah.” Zuko pursed his lips. 

“It’s been a while since we broke up, and we barely even dated. I don’t know why I feel how I feel when I see him. Like I owe him…” 

“You were the Avatar’s girl.” He concluded before turning towards her a little more than he had before. She sat up more too, waiting for whatever he was going to follow up with. “You know, you don’t owe anyone anything.” 

Of course Katara knew that - no one was more conscious of their hard won independence as she was. But it was reassuring anyways. “Mm,” She hummed, lids heavy as she gave a little nod. “I forgot.” She joked quietly. 

“I’ll remind you,” He swayed forward too, in time with her, and they stayed close to each other like that like they were going to share secrets for a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG. 
> 
> This is only part one of this part. I was just taking so long getting around to finishing it I decided to split it so I could actually get an update out a little faster - so sorry!! It's been crazy getting back into the swing of things after my break so I kept procrastinating. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this first half! Sorry if it's not great, I was working on it in really weird short bursts and I haven't slept much these last few days ahaha. 
> 
> Comments, kudos, and questions are always appreciated!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve never written a steamy scene like this before so settle in ladies and gents, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. We understand if u skip this chapter

Sokka’s Wedding  
2 Years Ago

 

A titter bubbled up between them, Katara’s eyes darting from his face to some distant place behind him and then back again. The laugh, nervous and unsure, made Zuko’s lip quirk in curious amusement. 

“What?”

“You’re drunk,” She whispered, squinting a little. 

“Yes,” Zuko nodded, both eyes slimming in turn, “So are you.” 

“We shouldn’t be out here,” Katara remarked, their eyes still locked. 

“I followed you, remember?” 

“Why?” Her shoulders pressed forward, curling in towards themselves and tugging her torso a little closer between them. 

“I was worried about you,” Zuko wondered where it was she could possibly be going with this. His own whiskey clouded mind daring to draw his thoughts away from that curiosity and down her face towards her lips, a little further next, down the dark line of her throat. He caught himself, dragging golden eyes back to hers. She’d definitely noticed the falter in his attention. 

“Why?” Katara repeated the curious note. 

“Because I care about you.” 

“You do?” Of course he did. She knew he did. But the question went beyond the loyalties of friendships. Sweet wine had pushed away her usually intelligent inhibitions and she wanted an answer to a question she oughtent have ever asked. 

“Of course I do.” Another inch between them was closed. “I care about you.”

The space was closed in a moment, lips hot and bruising and their bodies were pressed flush against each other. Zuko wasn’t sure who initiated it, but he knew it was his hands pulling her hips closer, pressing her into the sand. Katara wasn’t sure either, but she knew that her fingers were in his tied hair, pulling it loose with each careless caress. Her legs parted as much as they could despite the fabric of her gowns. This was dangerous, she knew, and her sober brain warned her against her inappropriate desires. But appropriateness wasn’t on her mind anymore, and it didn’t guide the actions of either of them. 

One of his hands began to explore the topography of her body, hands hot and desperate as they traced the lift of her breast and the wide curve of her hips. He’d broken the kiss long enough to make her look up at him, desire glazing over her cerulean gaze. 

“I want you,” He moaned, their breath mingling between them. 

“No,” She whispered suddenly, and Zuko nodded in understanding, pressing another kiss to her plump lips. 

“Okay,” His breathing was heavy as he shifted his weight away from her. 

“No,” She tugged him back, molding her lips to his. “I just meant, not here,” her eyes rolled in the direction of the hollow of the party and the wafting noise of music. “Someone might find us.”

“Oh,” his suddenly very hushed tone was almost comedic, like he had just imagined someone hearing him and so he had to whisper. 

It was cute, Katara thought, and she brushed wanting fingers over the length of his exposed neck. She pressed another kiss to his lips before wiggling beneath him, “Inside.”

Her movements simply spurred him on further, and a soft noise escaped him not quite like any she’d ever heard a man - especially not this man - make before. A moment after, he was kissing her again. Katara had enjoyed it immensely. It made her insides knot up and catch fire, and she almost considered abandoning her endeavors to get them out of the sand and into a bed (any bed would do, really) just to have that desire in her belly sated. 

But she kept her sanity, breaking the kiss and wriggling out of his gasp, “Inside”, she repeated a little more sternly, hooking her fingers on the leather of his wide belt and leading him towards the house. 

She thanked La that the bedchambers were in the opposite wing of the ballroom, but a separate prayer was said in hopes no party goers were wandering the hall as the master waterbender led a very aroused and very handsy Fire Lord to her room. 

The pair went unnoticed, and Zuko was pressed flush against her backside with his hands at her hips as she unlocked the door as quickly as possible. It always seemed so much more difficult to do something when the pressure of time was on your shoulders, and it felt like an eternity had passed before the lock turned and the door gave way. 

Candle Light flickered to life without Zuko so much as looking up, little more than thought putting sparks to the wicks so that the room flowed and he lost no sight of Katara as she yanked him into the room. His hands were everywhere, fingers bruising above the fine fabrics of her dress. 

She felt like she was burning from the inside out in the best of ways, her fingers making quick work of his crown and top knot, careful to place the golden ornament on a table as they passed. Katara drug her fingers through his inky locks, the impossibly soft strands like water beneath her hands. His own nimble fingers were making quick work of her gown, less worried about her intricate hairdo than he was about getting them both naked as quick as possible. Katara, however, had no intention of being laid with so much decoration in her hair. She quickly discarded it all before she returned her attention to him. 

“Zuko,” The name fell from her mouth as naturally as a breath. Thin fingers deftly did away with his ornate armor and let it drop to the wooden floor with a clank. She was out of her first layer, and so was he, but that was as far as they’d gotten before hot lips were crashing down against her skin. 

Suckling and nipping at the exposed flesh was keeping Zuko much to occupied, and so Katara went about doing away with the rest of her outfit. She yanked off the rest of her layers, and suddenly she was far too exposed. Zuko noticed immediately. At first, his reaction was to move his pleasantly attentive lips down further along the dark expanse of exposed flesh, but then he seemed to realize how desperately he wanted to admire her. 

Katara squirmed under that sudden scrutiny. She was sure her friend had seen her in the nude once before, but accidental glimpses while bathing seemed so inconsequential when compared with this. He knew that, and golden eyes took the opportunity to drink in every inch of her before landing on her face. 

Her name was like a poem on his lips. She’d never thought his voice sweet before. It was a lot of things, that smoky timbre was sensual and dark, but nothing he said sounded like a song. But her name on his tongue was every bit as sweet as the loveliest of serenades, and she wanted him to say it again. And he did, his fingers tracing the lifts and dips of her calves, massaging her thighs and squeezing her buttocks. He whispered it several times over like he knew just how delicious it was to her. Or maybe he liked hearing it just as much. 

She combed her fingers through his silken hair again, watching how each strand twisted and slipped to freedom, settling perfectly back in place. He was still far too clothed, but she hadn’t had a moment to complain when he had suddenly lifted her up, hooking his arms under her thighs so she was held most oddly in his arms. And then she was on her back beneath him. The nips and caresses continued, but the eager ventures began to make their way south, and every once in a while his tongue would dart out and trace a burning line over her skin. Each time she shuddered and moaned, and each time he became more eager to make her do it again. 

He was toying with her, and she hated it. But oh, oh, how she loved it. Katara felt such an intense yearning for something - for him - as she clawed at the blankets and curled her toes while Zuko played with her. She was naked and splayed beneath him, writhing at as little as kisses against bare skin and he was loving it. He had every right to, she knew, but dammit if she didn’t want to be the one in control. 

But that desire was squelched when she felt his lips finally hit home. Her jaw clenched and she said his name again, her pale eyes landing on his face between her legs. Katara’s thighs glistened on either side of his head, his hands resting at their base, holding her in place. This would prove a smart decision as it kept her close when pleasure started to wash over her when he finally set to work. He was all too skilled in this, she thought, and she was so glad for his knowledge. 

She rolled her hips against him, bucked and pleaded with the gods above and with him. One hand held tight to the sheets of her bed while the other had tangled in his hair. She only briefly hoped she wasn’t hurting him as she tugged and gasped and pushed at him, begging for him to just finish her off. Finally she cried out in pleasure as an orgasm ripples through her and set all of those tightened coils flying. Her heels pressing into his back hard for a moment before limply resting against him. Her breaths came heavy, eyes falling closed. 

She felt him shift between her legs, felt the bed move as he braced his arms on either side of her head. Then she felt one arm lift and the weight shift. Katara didn’t open her eyes until she felt his palm on her sex. She was still pulsating with pleasure, renewed by the touch as she thrummed in response. 

“Zuko,” She cooed, sounding very much like a dove. “I want you.” The repetition of his earlier phrase struck him deep in his heart and his loins. Katara pulled at the clothes he still wore, pushing them back off of his shoulders and let them fall down the one arm. A little mew of protest came from her when he removed the fingers within her to let the coat fall free. Once he yanked his silk shirt over his head he returned his fingers to their place between her legs. She began to undo his pants with her fingers, but the position was so awkward that it was soon easier to just push them down with her toes. The cold digits against his bare thighs as they shoved down his pants sent surprised jolts through him, but it only spurred him on. 

She protested again when he removed his hands. “You’ve got me,” He moaned, his face against her neck now. 

In a motion far too languid for Katara, Zuko was inside of her. This wasn’t what she wanted. She needed more, and with her legs wrapped around his hips and her arms at his neck, she decided to get more. 

She was atop him in no time, happily climbing astride to take the reigns and do away with any softness he may try to give her. Katara pressed her forehead to his, starting to roll her hips in time with the steady beating of her heart. A grin was plastered on Zuko’s face, fingers curled against her ass as she moved above him. His skin was so hot beneath her, and each measured movement pushed him against that sweet spot within her, and the roll of her hips gave long strokes to the little bundle of nerves at the peak of her sex. It all served to make her hungrier, more desperate for sweet release, and each moan and sigh and perfect stroke did the same for Zuko. 

His hands moved from her rear, cupping her full breasts. She stretched above him, back arched and her movements becoming less careful. Zuko rolled his thumbs over her dusky nipples, watching her chest rise and fall as she panted. 

His name was falling from her lips at a steady pace now. Her voice was a quiet chorus of praises and curses and his name.

“Katara,” Zuko breathed, gaze following a particular bead of sweat that traced the space between her breasts and kept a neat line towards her navel. “I love you,” He dared, and it sparked something inside of her.

She put her hands on either of his shoulders, hair spilling over her shoulder like a dark curtain. “Say it again,” Katara asked, and he did, repeating it as many times as she wanted him to until climax ripped through him. 

The waterbender rode it out, lips pressed to his as she took him for all he was worth. 

She stayed pressed against him for a long moment afterwards, her breathing just as ragged as his. 

“Agni, Katara…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all my laptop charger broke so I had to write this whole bitch on muni phone FORGIVE MY LATENESS AND ITS WEIRDNESS sksksksksksks anyways hope it wasn’t too bad I’m dying over here I really didn’t intend for it to Be so.... uh... awk.


	12. Chapter 12

Mai’s request never left Katara’s mind. She repeated it to herself for most of the rest of the day, trying her best to think up a way to go about distracting Zuko properly. Thankfully, she had very little planned for the day. So after she dressed herself in a simple yellow hanfu with a hand painted belt and golden cord tied about her waist, her hair loose aside from the braid that hung down the middle which held back the parts of her hair which would otherwise hang over her shoulder, she decided to seek out her friend. 

It was much later in the day, and dinner would likely be served soon, so she thought to catch him before that. Zuko was where she thought he would be, sat before his massive desk in a golden high backed chair. His gaze was lowered to the complex characters inked on thick parchment, focus heavy as he deciphered what ever treatise or demand was in his grasp. Because of this, he didn’t quite notice her entrance. Or maybe he did, thinking it was some servant or perhaps a general. So when he looked up and found Katara standing with her wide, thoughtful eyes, he was visibly taken back. 

“Katara?” 

She smiled, sinking into one of the chairs across from him. “Have you talked to Mai yet?”

“Yes, of course,” A cautious smile of his own graced his scarred face before he seemed to realize who he was talking to. The false happiness waned he replaced his papers on his desk. “I take it you did, too?”

“Yeah, she was in the bathhouse.” Even though Katara had come to prod at his shielded heart and find out how she could help him open up, she found herself fighting back confrontation – and losing. “She told me you told her we had an affair.” 

Zuko squinted, like he didn’t understand the problem. “We did.”

“Obviously I know that, but you told Mai?”

“Yes…” now he paused, mulling over the possible source of her discontent. “She is - was - my wife and queen. I think I owed it to her.” 

“And what about me?” 

“What do you mean?” Katara would never understand how such a brilliant man could be so damned stupid. Not a single clue as to where this stubborn inability to imagine why she would be upset was being given. So, Katara decided to spell it out for him. She’d write it out stroke by stroke if she must.

“Zuko, you didn’t ask me at all how I would feel! I understand she was your wife, and we betrayed her. Your union - we damaged that for no reason beyond stupid, stupid thrill chasing. I get why you told her, but I had no idea she knew.”

“You’re embarrassed.”

“Of course I am!” She hissed, “How am I supposed to look her in her eyes?”

“How were you going to do it before?” 

At this, Katara’s plain fury dissipated, confusion dawning on her face. “I don’t know.” She dragged her lip between her teeth, finding a small knick in the dark wood of Zuko’s desk to focus on instead of his own intrusive stare. 

“Would you have come here if you knew she’d known?” 

“No,” She admitted. “I don’t think I would have - at least, not while you guys were still married.” 

“We’re not married now.” 

Another sigh escaped her. Her cheeks were still hot and her heart was still pounding, but the tightness in her throat wasn’t really anger. It was sadness and humiliation, all things she was sure Mai had felt. Her hurt was in part because of Katara, and she felt worse because Mai had already gone through so much for her to stoke the fire like that. “She still lives here. The divorce isn’t even public yet, there’s rumors but you’re still married in the eyes of your people.”

“Do you really think it was a ‘stupid mistake’?” Zuko was still asking her questions. 

“Yes.” 

“Do you regret it?” 

“I feel like a harlot.”

“That wasn’t my question.” 

“We shouldn’t have done it.”

“But do you regret it?”

“No.” 

He was quiet for a moment. 

“Did you mean it?” She asked the question this time.

“Mean what?”

“That night… you told me you loved me. Did you mean it?”

“Every time.”

“Do you still love me?”

“You’re my best friend.”

“That’s not what I asked.” She repeated his earlier correction. 

“Yes.” 

“Did you love me before that night?” 

He sighed this time. “I think so.”

“You think so?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t think about it. Tried not to anyways. You hated me -”

“You loved me when you were hunting me?”

“No, I don’t know. I was… infatuated with you. You’re very different than most Fire Nation women. And you were troublesome. I hated you, but I didn’t just hate you, and then I was with you, and I wanted your forgiveness, and then-” His amber eyes searched her face. “Then you forgave me, and…” The pause here was brief, almost enough to make Katara spur the conversation on again, but she refrained because his thin lips parted and words finally fell free. “Yeah, I loved you. From that moment on the pier forwards I loved you.” 

“But you didn’t tell me.” 

“You were the Avatar’s girl!” 

“I am my own girl. Always, no matter what. You should have said something.” 

“I was already with Mai.” 

“You just said you were in love with me.” 

“Would it have changed anything?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Exactly. I had a duty to my people that I needed to fulfill. I needed to know. I couldn’t take risks in the beginning.” There was something unsaid there too. They both knew she wouldn’t have been an asset in his early reign. She wouldn’t have agreed to marry him, even if she had been in love with him at fourteen when the war ended. She had loved Aang, and she had denied his proposal. But there was some other thing he hadn’t said and for the moment, Katara didn’t push it.

In fact, all she wanted to do was run away. Her initial plan when approaching Zuko had been chucked out the window and left for dead. Now her nerves were frayed and she was a mess with too many words and no ability to figure out how to get them out of her throat. She’d only added to Zuko’s obvious stress and had forced an argument she hadn’t completely been ready for. 

They were staring at each other, both wearing frowns, no words spoken but so many hanging between them. 

Finally, Zuko broke the silence, though his question left Katara wanting it’s safety.   
“Do you love me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all.... im...... i do not deserve forgiveness ;-; 
> 
> i was in hawaii and i have had jet lag ever since, so I'm suffering plenty. pls be gentle to me, thank u. 
> 
> also i kno i kno this is s h o r t. again, big apologies <3 <3 <3 i love u guys


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies and chapter notes are at the bottom, but I wanted to leave this here: I made a ko-fi account. So, if you've got one or would like to follow me and interact with me on another site and see even more things (fan art, maybe some shorts???). I'm not asking for donations, though donations & commissions are always appreciated, it isn't something I expect whatsoever!!!
> 
> Here's the link, if you'd like it: https://www.ko-fi.com/elliejo
> 
> And if you want to make a ko-fi gold account, here's my 10% off link (everyone gets one after they sign up): https://ko-fi.com/gold?a=P5P3P06G haha shameless advertising over, sorry

“Do you love me?” 

Silence fell over Katara and every thought she had passed rapidly over her face, easy to read if you looked carefully. Her eyes were wide with surprise at the question. Why was she so surprised? Hadn’t she just asked the same thing of him? Yes - but she was selfish and didn’t want to be asked too, as if admitting to her feelings was simply too far. Quickly, she considered the reasons why she hadn’t wanted to be asked. The most obvious being that she didn’t know the answer. But she did, maybe she just didn’t want to admit it. No, of course she didn’t. Admitting it would lead to what? 

If she said yes, maybe they would get married. Someone would have to fill Mai’s role eventually, could that ever be Katara? Could she be queen? Though she hadn’t dealt too extensively with the bias and hatred many still felt for the Water Tribe people that they saw as beneath them, she knew that it existed. She would feel the full extent of it if she became Fire Lady. But she was getting far ahead of herself. If she said yes, who knew what it actually meant. She may be with him, actually indulge in a relationship with someone she had cared so deeply for for so long. 

If she said no, then what? Eventually Zuko would remarry, and Katara would be happy for him. But this encounter would change their relationship regardless, and if her answer was no, it would likely ruin their friendship. Even if they tried to go back to the friendship it was likely it wouldn’t be the same. This would always loom between them. 

When she finally returned her focus back on Zuko, she found him watching her intently, several emotions washing over his own features while he waited for her answer. 

“Yes.” 

“You love me?”

A nod. Katara pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for whatever may come next. Curiosity and worry were likely apparent on her face while Zuko watched her, unmoving. 

Finally, the Fire Lord moved back in his chair, the shift in his brow making her think he was thinking the same thing she was. 

‘Now what?’ An unspoken phrase between them. They’d both confessed their love to each other, but neither had even considered where things would actually go from here. 

She must have been wearing her thoughts as plainly on her face as she would have worn makeup, because Zuko looked like he was reading her like a book. 

“I love you,” Katara said it aloud this time, and it sounded strange to her own ears. She wasn’t sure the last time she said that to a man other than her brother or father. Perhaps when she and Aang were still together. Had she meant it then? Maybe - she was so young, but surely she did love Aang then. Perhaps if things had been different, they would still be together. Maybe her feelings for the avatar would have grown with the years and she wouldn’t be here feeling as she did for the Fire Lord. 

Zuko looked at her for a moment more, slim mouth parting as if he meant to say something, but the door opened and his thoughts were cut off.

On the otherside of the door was an older man, Katara thought his name might have been Chan or Tan or something along those lines, but she couldn’t quite remember. Despite his carefully arranged beard and his perfectly set clothes, he looked disheveled. Wide eyes found his king and with a quick bow that nodded to formality otherwise lost in moments of high drama, and he spoke quickly in the native Fire Nation tongue with which she was only sort of familiar. She realized this likely meant she wasn’t meant to understand what he said, and it had worked. Only the word “quickly” had translated, and Zuko gave her no hint as to what was happening. 

“What’s going on?” She asked, though it was none of her business. 

“I’ll explain later - there’s something I need to do first, though. I will come find you later?” When he looked at her, there was something regretful in his eyes, his good brow twisted up at the front while he waited for assurance. 

She nodded, dismissing him though he hadn’t required it, and pressed a hand over her heart as she watched him leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what language I would liken the native fire nation language too. I feel as though Chinese is the base of the universal language in ATLA. I can only think of like Sanskrit, since Sanskrit is used by Hindu priests and Agni is a Hindu god - but if I'm wrong or if you have any better suggestions, p l e a s e comment them. 
> 
> Ok, now into apologies. I've had some really bad things happen the last few weeks, and that along with starting my new job has been detrimental to my mental health. I haven't been able to give the things I love any sort of proper care or attention and I'm so sorry for leaving this and you guys like that. Again, I know this is a very short chapter, but i was scared leaving it would mean I wouldn't get to it, and I didn't want to risk that.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Please enjoy this chapter, and if you'd like to support me even more than u already are, check out my profile for a link to my ko-fi page!

Hours later, Katara was in her apartments and was alone aside from Li Xiu’s constant, comfortable presence. Katara had eaten dinner alone in her rooms that night, the rice and curried meats and vegetables had left her satisfied, and she’d found the reprise from the usual political clammer or repetitive gossip comfortable. She’d since washed her face and changed into sleep clothes for whenever she did decide to crawl up into the massive bed and snuggle up beneath the silk sheets, her hair hanging in a thick plait down her back. Until she finally decided to go to sleep, while the room was lit with lanterns and steel oil lamps shaped like various animals, and while Li Xiu was busy folding the clothes she’d had washed to be worn again at sometime, Katara would don a soft red cotton dressing gown with little white cranes embroidered all about it. She had been fascinated thus far with the skill of the Fire Nation dressmakers. Zuko had mentioned that their prowess in the arts of such things was something for which the country was famous, and she could believe it. Though what she had previously seen of the Fire Nation had been bleak and cold - the warships had never had decor outside of plain lamps and the minimalistic flags that were so renowned - she was finding it now to be filled with unique artistic expression. Investment in the arts and the appreciation of such things had been near nonexistent during the war, but in peace they were flourishing. Colors - though the preferred ones were obviously reds and blacks - blossomed in everything and unique designs were carefully etched into nearly everything. 

Such had been so expressed in the clothes she had been gifted upon her arrival. The luxury of living in a place where practicality was not always the top priority meant that fashion was incredibly diverse, as was the decor. Though Katara had never been very intrigued by such things on their own, seeing how much the Fire Nation had shed its basic uniformity had definitely impressed her. And beautiful things did appeal to her, as it might anyone. It was all so different from the designs that she and her tribesmen donned. Though often filled with designs and colors, they were often representational. Clothing in the Southern Water Tribes spoke a language each member was fluent in. They told about family histories and honors, and expressed each members masteries and roles in the tribe. The Fire Nation’s symbols surely had meanings that she was not privy to, but could also tell that much of it was purely aesthetical. She wanted to appreciate the time that went into hand stitching tiny white cranes on something as simple as a dressing gown meant to do nothing more than hide her immodesty from potential visitors, or carefully painting intricate dragons and outdoor scenes onto belts and robes and underthings as she had discovered was rather common. 

The waterbender was, at the moment, walking aimlessly around her room, an apple in one hand and parchment in the other. It wasn’t a majorly important letter, just a new correspondence from Guozhi, someone she was now happy to call a friend. He was telling her about a business deal he had made with some foreign national and how he would be organizing meetings all week to solidify everything and flesh out some details. He’d needed to reschedule plans that they had made to go into the Lower City for more exploring. Letters went quickly between the pair since they’d gotten together to talk about so many of the things she was curious about in these strange lands and she was content to confide in him where she may not be able to do so so quickly with those she might usually. She figured she would draft a response before she went to bed so that she didn’t forget and send it off in the morning, doubtful that it would be him she ever explained any of her current dramas to. Katara wasn’t even sure she could turn to Suki for such things. Her sister-in-law didn’t know what had gone on between Katara and Zuko on the day of her wedding and Katara wasn’t sure she was prepared to explain everything to her. She was only about half way through the letter when she heard a swift knock at her door. The sudden noise made Katara jump, but Li Xiu was already walking towards it when Katara registered that it was just a knock and not any sort of threat. 

Her handmaiden bowed her head when she opened the door, bowing deeper once the door was fully open, and Katara knew what that meant. Placing the apple and the letter on her desk, she looked in Zuko’s direction as he entered. 

He was still fully dressed which likely meant he had only just finished with whatever meeting had interrupted their earlier conversation. She pulled her robe about her a little tighter in a habitual response at maintaining her modesty.

“Good Evening,” she responded, offering him a smile and a curious glance. 

“May I talk to you for a moment?” He asked, formality likely for the sake of Li Xiu alone. 

“Ah, of course,” She turned her attention to her handmaiden. “You’re dismissed for tonight.” 

“But Master Katara, I haven’t finished putting away your things -”

“That’s alright, Li Xiu, I can do it.” 

“Of course,” She bowed again before retreating from the room, leaving Zuko and Katara alone in the golden candlelight. 

Katara watched him for a moment, wondering if he had come to continue their conversation from earlier or to make good on his promise to explain what had interrupted it in the first place. 

She hardly had a second to question him, though, before he was before her. Her eyes widened at his sudden proximity, thoughts skirting around the likely reasoning for it. 

“Katara,” His voice was low and rough, a whisper against the exhaustion he wore on his face around her. Large hands came into her periphery before he placed his hands on each of her cheeks. Soft thumbs rolled over her high cheekbones, and the gentle brightness that blossomed in his golden eyes made her stomach flutter. “I love you.” It didn’t sound uneasy, in fact, the words sounded so natural coming from him that it was like he’d been saying them to her this entire time. 

She smiled, forgetting her earlier aggressions and previous prying, and pressed one smaller hand over his. “I love you too.” She knew this moment was likely temporary and that there would be a lot to say later, so many words swimming just at the back of her mind waiting to be spoken into reality. But for now, she revelled in it. 

Later, she thought, she would ask what he’d had to deal with earlier, and she had plenty to fuss about. But all of that could wait. When Zuko’s lips suddenly pressed to hers, it was hardly at the forefront of her mind, in fact it was so far from her thoughts that it seemed completely gone. The only thing on her mind was the heat that sparked immediately between them, the ember they’d left burning years ago nursed back to a brightening flame. 

She breathed him in, letting herself be enveloped in that comfortable burn beneath his skin. Little kisses paired with the deep intrusive ones as they came together in her chambers. Zuko’s hands fell from her face, sliding over her shoulders and settling on her lower back. Though unexpected, Katara welcomed his proximity and allowed him to pull her closer until they were flush against each other. She wondered what had brought this on, though she figured there was a good enough reason, and if she was frank then she would acknowledge that she didn’t need much of a reason to respond to him. 

They continued to kiss as they made their way through the sitting area of her temporary apartments, stumbling just a little as they climbed the parapet where her bed sat. Her knees gave way when they hit the edge of the bed and down the pair tumbled onto the downy mattress, amongst the silk sheets and the well fluffed pillows piled there. 

_____________________________________________________________

 

Sleep settled over heavy eyes while she lay snuggled so close to her friend, the Fire Lord. Naked bodies were pressed against each other, the dark sheets tangled around their legs. She was so close to dozing off while she lay there basking in the afterglow of their rendezvous, but something kept her from finally drifting away. 

“Are you watching me?” The master waterbender wandered, opening her heavy eyes to look at the king nestled beside her. 

“Yes,” Zuko admitted. He brushed his fingers across her cheek to push some sweat dampened tendrils out of her face. 

“That’s creepy,” Katara teased, a flush washing over skin that had been darkened beyond her usual sweet swath of of honey brown skin.

“It’s not creepy, it’s romantic,” Zuko corrected with a similar playfulness. 

He wondered, though, while watching Katara press ever closer to him while she fought the sleep so close to taking her, if she would think the poetry he could write about her was “creepy”. 

Zuko wouldn’t write her as so many Fire Nation poets tended to write their loves, he wouldn’t set her on a pedestal and strip her of her humanity. Her teeth weren’t pearls and her cheeks were not peaches (though he thought she may have tasted as sweet), and he would love her despite her flaws, but not ignore them. 

His musings were interrupted when he found her blue eyes on him once more (how did she always know when he was watching her?) and he prepared to be chastised again. 

“Well,” Katara shifted, lifting herself up onto her elbows. “If you’re just going to stare at me, I’d might as well just ask. What’s going on?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You got called out pretty urgently, and it seemed like your vizier didn’t want me to know what was going on.” 

“Ah, that, right… His reluctance to let you know is a mix of distrust and of a really common idea to Fire Nation people that no one can know when you or your country is in distress.” 

“Right, a renowned stubbornness,” Probably an understatement. “But what happened? It seemed urgent.” 

“There have been some troubles in the colonies,” He explained. “Some rebel groups who wanted the war to continue have been causing issues for the Earth Kingdom peoples, and there have been some issues with people who want any Fire Nation citizens out of the areas that were colonized.” A little frown tugged at his lips. “There was another attack today, nothing major - a few people were injured but nothing more. However it seems someone has made the discovery that the rebels may be being funded by deposed politicians seeking to reinstate my father, or put my sister in charge. Anything that will allow for continued war profiteering.” 

“I see -” She frowned herself then. “Any clues who?” 

“No, but the list of politicians banished isn’t a particularly long one, however if they were anyone of any real power then they may have dangerous knowledge, or worse, dangerous friends. If they have a friend on the inside, they may be able to finesse exactly what they want.” 

“Would you allow another war?” 

“Not by my own hands, but civil war is possible, and if the wrong information gets to the wrong people, someone else may want to reignite that fight. They may force me to defend myself.” 

“Wait, civil war? That would be devastating…”

“It would,” Zuko agreed. “But it is a legitimate current threat. A great many people supported my loss of the crown. My taking it back may seem like a slap in the face.” He sighed, looking down at her with heavy thoughts written across his face. “But let’s not think about that tonight. No one has declared war yet, and we’re closer in discovering the traitors and their leaders.” Zuko pressed a kiss against her brow. “So for now, lets sleep.”

He had begun to move his arm from beneath her as if meaning to leave the bed, but Katara pushed a reluctant hand out to grab him. “Don’t go. Stay.” She requested and, of course, he obeyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back on my BS. Also, the poem's themes that I mention are actually Petrarch n i was deffo inspired by shakespeares rip on petrarch's beginning of the 'describing women as inanimate objects of beauty' cliche, the difference being that I'm not a poet so i doubt it'll come up much skskskksksks
> 
> also yes, that was a reference to tvd. i have no shame :)
> 
> Love you! Please comment, it always makes my day <3


	15. Chapter 15

The rosy fingers of dawn had only just began to stretch past the curtains when Katara finally woke. With a stretch she fondly remembered the source of the dull throb she was feeling and reached out to touch the man who'd been there hours previous. 

Met with no one, she sighed in disappointment. Crawling from the silk sheets, Katara pulled on a blue and gold woven khadi ghagra choli and braided her hair quickly before she went to where she knew the Fire Lord was. 

Katara found Zuko inside of the largest shrine on palace grounds, seated before a golden statue of Agni. His knees were crossed, fingers touched together at the tip. His hands were coated in the fragrant red powder she’d seen used several times both during her current stay and during her visits in the past. She’d never touched it herself, though Zuko’s hands were always especially soft after its recent use. She stood silently in the back of the room by a large basin of water, not wanting to invade his time of meditation and prayer. 

She wondered if Zuko was truly a religious man, as he’d never given any indication to it outside of his heavy devotion to these morning rituals. Katara knew very little of his religion and decided to press the subject later. For now, she was content to watch him while he worshipped, not parting the translucent yellow curtains he was behind. She hadn’t needed to make her presence known, however, as not even a full minute had gone by before a small tilt in Zuko’s head and the opening of his eyes alerted her that he did know she was there. 

“Do you want to pray?” He asked plainly, not standing yet. 

“Oh, I don’t…” she waved vaguely, and he seemed to understand. 

“You don’t have to -” Now he did stand, dressed in nothing but an open vest and loose bottoms he was the least formal she’d seen him since she’d arrived, aside from when they’d sparred. He walked over to her, pushing the thin curtain aside. “Let me show you?”

With a nod she relented and a smile lit his face. Gesturing to the basin he spoke, “Wash your hands, and don’t bend. It’s about the act itself, the ritual of it.” She did and he continued, “And your feet.” 

Again, she obeyed. This practice wasn’t necessarily new to her. Though she wasn’t a practitioner (any religious observance in the south couldn’t include this. Your feet would freeze before they even got the chance to be clean!), she had observed men and women doing such outside of temples when she had traveled through the Fire Nation during the war and a few times after. And thus she didn’t question it. He nodded and stepped aside for her to enter the shrine, going towards where the pair of statues were displayed. Agarbatti burned before them both, the smell of spikenard filling the room as the smoke danced away from the burning tips of the agarwood incense. She repeated each word he spoke as directed, though she couldn’t understand any of it and was sure she was pronouncing most of it wrong. He didn’t correct her and so she continued on. He made a motion with his hand before taking her smaller hand in his and dipping it into a pale red liquid that did little to the pads of her fingers but came to life when the tips of each digit was sunk into the velvety red powder, dying the tips that vibrant color she’d seen on his fingers before it was subsequently washed off by the days proceedings. He told her that the red dye, kumkuma, was a representative of fire. Red was a color of purity, of the cleansing power of his element, and it was used often in religious and marital ceremonies. It fascinated her, as the intricacies of this nation which she had hated for so many years revealed itself and became more impressive. 

“Can you meditate?”

“Of course,” She nodded. Zuko switched his positions, crossing his legs and returning to the position he’d been in when she’d first seen him, and so Katara followed suit, pressing the tips of each of her fingers together as he did and taking slow, deliberate breaths. 

She hardly ever meditated with any serious intention, though Aang did it often. She felt her own energy wafting through her, the languid push and pull of the hidden moon, the connection with the far away seas and nearby bodies of water as she centered herself and reached out mentally, spiritually, towards her elements. She felt Zuko there beside her, felt his heart beat slow and rhythmic, pushing blood through his veins. She wondered what he felt, how he connected to an element he could conjure up from nothing. A curious peak gave her her answer when she noted the small tufts of smoke escaping his nostrils with each exhalation. Returning to her own thoughts, Katara reached out mentally towards him. She’d never noticed this before, having never meditated so close to another person before. Did all waterbenders feel this cool, calling thump of the life of whomever was nearby? Or was it more related to her abilities to bloodbend? 

Nevertheless, she felt it, traced how it thrummed through him, connecting to the currents within him just as she did a rushing river or coursing stream. She didn’t call upon it as she would water, but instead just lingered with it, feeling how it flowed within him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very short look into the morning rituals of Zuko as observed by Katara. 
> 
> todays reference includes: i discovered and fell in love with the suryagarh hotel and all of those pictures of its curtains, also includes me finding it very hard to make up fruits and scents the way atla does bc im so infatuated with what we do have here in our own world.
> 
> also, because i am not hindu and don't necessarily know the practices of hinduism, and since this is technically a fictionalized world, a lot of what i may say or dictate about the fire nations religion is of my own creation though i try really hard to recognize and highlight the origins and try to research the faith itself in hopes of better incorporating it and not offending anyone. if anything i do write as pertaining to hinduism does offend or contradict, please let me know so i can correct it accordingly!! thank you all for your constant understanding, patience, consideration, and kindness! it means the world to me and i dont think i'll ever do well enough in explaining this. 
> 
> thanks again, really =) 
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated.


	16. ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey guys !!! Wanted to stop in real quick and and make a little announcement that I’ve made a tumblr !!! i wasn’t creative enough to make a good url lol but it exists, so you guys should come and follow me / talk to me !!! it’ll be a good way to keep in touch and ask questions, since im so bad at keeping a schedule here. Thank you!!!

(url : officialelliejo.tumblr.com )


	17. Chapter 17

The weeks to follow came in a similar manner. 

Zuko and Katara spent each night together, and each morning she went with him to pray. He’d told her that the actual act of worship was a highly intimate thing. Though public temples were often attended en masse, especially on holidays and during festivals.

As the New Year approached and planning became even more intense (Katara had read through a guest list of over one thousand people), he’d told her that, traditionally, the New Year was celebrated over the length of a week, parties were held in the streets from the time the sun came up until its descent, worshipping the sun itself. Then, the celebration moved to fire and candles were lit and lanterns floated through the sky. Zuko told her that he had never experienced the civilian side of the celebrations, which she wasn’t surprised by, and that he actually knew very little of the formalities of it. She knew they celebrated the turnover of the year in the middle of the week, and he explained the importance of the cleansing nature of fire used in ending and beginning the new year. 

“We have a Festival of Lights the south, too.” She started. “Though it’s not related to the New Year, or to the worship of gods - we have very few gods and goddesses in the South, we mostly recognize spirits. Which is… I guess they’re like gods, only less creation-y and more manifest-y.”

“Ah, I remember. The koi fish from the North were the spirits of the ocean and the moon, right?”

A nod, “When Zhao killed Tui, Sokka’s girlfriend sacrificed herself and fulfilled her destiny by replacing her and returning the balance.”

A look of realization washed over Zuko’s pale features and she almost asked him what it was for when he began to explain. “So when Sokka said his girlfriend turned into the moon… that actually happened?” 

Katara started laughing suddenly. “You thought he’d made it up?” 

“Yes! Honestly, I thought maybe he was a little…” Zuko waggled his fingers beside his temple like it explained what he meant. 

“No, she really became our moon spirit. Which is why I say we don’t have God’s the way you do, and we don’t worship in the same way. We pay tribute to the spirits around us, revere their might, but we don’t worship them as the creators and the givers of the things we have. Just as the driving forces behind the movements of nature.”

“Spirits are more universally accepted, too. It’s hard to say you don’t believe in the moon spirit when you watched it’s light go out after it’s vessel was murdered.” Zuko, who had been walking along side her through the maze of flowers paused for a moment while he spoke. Then he went and sat on a polished stone bench, extending a hand to Katara who accepted and joined him. 

“That is true,” she laughed. “Is religion strictly enforced here?” She asked, her curiosity ever growing and begging to be quenched. 

“No, and, like your own people, I think many move from the more antiquated and distant gods to the more present spirits. It’s more tradition and culture than paying reverence to the gods.”

“But you do, regularly. Why?”

“My mother did when I was young. She prayed for so much, and to many more gods than the ones we have in temple here, after she left, I didn’t pray. I didn’t pray until after I saw the Ocean Spirits fury. I didn’t worship until after I joined you and the Gaang.”

“I never saw you.”

“It wasn’t as formal then. Even if the gods are truly absent, or even if they’ve never been listening, putting that energy into the universe is good, don’t you think?”

“I think you’ve picked up more from your uncle than you realize.” She smiled, nudging his shoulder with hers. “That’s very wise of you. And I do agree.” 

Many of their conversations went much the same, they spent a great deal of time - when not working on all that they had to work on - learning the intricacies of each other’s bodies and minds. Though they’d been friends for a great deal and they knew much about the character of the other, there were so many minute details untouched and waiting to be delve into. 

Katara had been so engulfed in Zuko, in picking up every little detail about him in ways she hadn’t thought to before, very little else seemed to even cross her mind. 

One night, a night which had ended as many others did, she found herself laid out beside him, her head resting comfortably against his shoulders. Long fingers danced over his naked torso, her foot sliding lazily against his leg. Many thoughts crossed her mind before she settled on one to actually voice. 

“When my father and brother come we’ll have to put a pause on our nightly rendezvous.” She explained with a sigh. 

He hummed, a movement she could feel against her cheek from where she lay, and slid his hand along her arm. Her skin had darkened even further than its natural brown glow since coming to stay in his sunny nation, a feature he’d found beautiful since he’d first seen her. But now she was like some ethereal sun goddess, built to be here. “I suppose that would be for the best.”

“Oh- and whatever room you put Sokka and Suki in needs a crib, don’t forget. They’re bringing their baby,” She’d thought about the baby often, inquiring the health of her brothers new addition to his growing family every time she wrote either of them, but for some reason, when she mentioned it this way, in the state they were in, it struck her with an emotion she hadn’t felt yet since they’d picked up this nightly habit. 

But no, she wouldn’t bring that up now. 

“Of course… But I wonder - will you ever tell Sokka and Hakoda that we’re seeing each other?”

A dark brow quirked. “Are we ‘seeing each other’?” She teased. 

Feigning offense, Zuko flipped them so Katara was pinned between him and the mattress, her legs hiking up to wrap around his waist. “You think I’d let you go after all of this?”

Katara wrapped strong arms around his neck, “I’d hope not.” 

He nuzzled happily against her before she opened up for him again and he sunk back down into her depths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter update bc I haven't been around for so long. V sorry, but my mental health has been all over the place :///
> 
> also, i've been working on an original piece here: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/188646879-like-sugar


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